1 The Defense of DemocracyA.W. Pereira 19/6/17
2 Questions What is the track record of regional institutions and states in defending democracy in the post-Cold War period? How robust is the contemporary system of democracy protection? What is Brazil’s record in democracy protection and promotion?
3 Outline US and Brazilian history and approaches to democracy promotion and the defense of democracy Two examples of Brazilian positions on democracy: Haiti in 2004 and Honduras in 2009 Is there a crisis of democracy in the contemporary world order? The defense of democracy in the inter-American system
4 Some US history with regard to democracyNear-universal white male suffrage in the Jackson era ( ) Slavery and ethnic cleansing of the native American population In the last half of the 19th and early 20th century, “machine politics” was corrupt but incorporated immigrants into politics, with a small civil service (at least before the Pendleton Act of 1883). US foreign policy was anti-imperialistic and legalistic until the Spanish-American War (1989)
5 Mark Twain “And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.” The New York Herald, 15 October 1900
6 Wilsonian democracy promotionthe United States fights “for the rights of nations great and small and the privilege of men everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience. The world must be made safe for democracy.” Woodrow Wilson in address to Congress, 2 April 2017
7 The realist reaction The US cannot and should not promote democracy everywhere. It must assess its own national interests and behave pragmatically. “The final answer might be an unpleasant one…but we should not hesitate before police repression by the local government. This is not shameful, since the communists are essentially traitors [ … ] It is better to have a strong regime in power than a liberal government if it is indulgent and relaxed and penetrated by communists” (George Kennan in 1950, quoted in Ranelagh, 1986: 275).
8 Examples of US attempts to impose its version of democracyGermany and Japan after WWII Panama in 1989 Iraq in 2003 Abraham Lowenthal, Exporting Democracy – the US often backed away from democracy promotion when its geostrategic and/or economic interests were threatened.
9 Some contemporary US democracy promotion institutionsUSAID International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) National Endowment for Democracy (NED) International Republican Institute (IRI) International Democratic Institute (IDI) The Carter Center
10 Some Brazilian history with regard to democracyTwo party system for most of the 19th century – but the suffrage was small Distance from Spanish America, which was marked by political disorder Brazil fought in WW II when it was not a democracy Dictatorship and democratization in the 1980s
11 Democracy “promotion”?This is not a term that is used by Brazilian diplomats or strategic thinkers Celos Amorim: “democracy cannot be imposed. It is born of dialogue”.
12 1988 Constitution Article 4: Principles guiding Brazilian foreign policyI - national independence; II – the prevalence of human rights; III – the self-determination of peoples; IV – non-intervention; V – equality between states; VI – the defense of peace; VII – the pacific solution of conflicts; VIII – the repudiation of terrorism and racism; IX – cooperation between peoples for the progress of humanity; X – the concession of political asylum.
13 Brazil’s regional role – Haiti 2004Jean-Bertrand Aristide (of Fanmi Lavalas) elected President of Haiti in 2000 February 2004: armed groups threatened Port au Prince 29 February 2004: Aristide left Haiti on a US military plane June 2004: MINUSTAH troops arrived in Haiti, under Brazilian command
14 Brazil’s role: Honduras 2009-11Elected President Manuel Zelaya sent into exile by the Army on 28 June 2009 The OAS suspended Honduras by unanimous vote on 4 July The UN, US, and EU called it a coup d’etat Elections scheduled for 29 November by interim government led by Roberto Micheletti The US eventually says it will recognize the winner of the election. Porfirio Lobo of the National Party wins the election
15 Honduras September 2009: Zelaya sneaks back into Honduras and ends up in the Brazilian Embassy. He stays there more than four months. After Lobo’s inauguration in January 2010, a number of states start to normalize relations with Honduras. By August 2010, this includes the USA, Canada, the EU, Peru, Colombia, the DR, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, and Chile. But not Brazil.
16 Criticisms of Brazil’s policyRiordan Roett: Brazil sides with “radical nationalist governments” Maria Herminia Tavares de Almeida: “a really bad decision” Kevin Zamora: a defeat for Brazil Jorge Castaneda: Brazil is a diplomatic “dwarf” Rubens Barbosa: Brazilian foreign policy was ”ideologized” by the PT Armando Valladares: Honduras avoided a “Chavist abyss” by removing Zelaya
17 But was Brazil’s position so bad?US Ambassador Hugo Lorens’ cable to Washington, 24 July 2009 (thanks Wikileaks): “The Embassy perspective is that there is no doubt that the military, Supreme Court and National Congress conspired on 28 June in what constituted an illegal and unconstitutional coup against the Executive Branch…Roberto Micheletti’s assumption of power was illegitimate”.
18 Why did the US recognize the Lobo government?Because the Republicans in Congress pressured the Obama administration into doing so. Jim de Mint (R-S. Carolina) held up the confirmation of Obama appointees until the Obama administration changed its position. Arturo Valenzuela eventually became Asst Sec of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and Tom Shannon US Ambassador to Brazil, after the government changed tack.
19 Jose Insulza, Sec General of the OASThe OAS tried to resolve the Honduras crisis multilaterally. But the US acted unilaterally, and then the other countries fell behind it. 22 May 2011 – The Cartagena Agreement signed by Lobo and Zelaya lets Zelaya return to Honduras. 31 May 2011: all OAS members except Ecuador vote to re-admit Honduras.
20 Was Brazil’s policy a failure?It failed to restore an elected president who had been removed in a coup to power. But it upheld a principle of the OAS.
21 A survey of Brazilian foreign policy elitesShould a goal of Brazilian foreign policy be to support democracy elsewhere? YES 57% When the Army overthrows an elected president in a Latin American country, should Brazil condemn the coup and break off diplomatic relations? YES 48%
22 Is there a crisis of democracy in the region/the world?
23 Factors to consider Economic problems as revealed in the 2008 financial crisis Transnational capitalism’s tendency towards increasing inequality, corruption, and volatility Abuses of power by great powers in the name of liberal internationalism The rise of illiberalism (i.e. ethnonationalism in the USA and Europe)
24 Inter-American democracy protection“Democracy is alive but not well” Old-fashioned military coups are likely to be strongly rejected But other erosions of democracy, such as constitutional crises (including impeachment coups), electoral controversies, and the resignation of a president after mass protess, elicit more ambiguous reactions The IADC has never been invoked against a sitting president
25 Inter-American democracy promotion?“Latin American democracies would be better served if OAS observation missions were less passive and included comprehensive assessments of underlying quality [of democracy] issues in their final report”. Arcenaux and Pion-Berlin
26 The legalization of the democracy norm in the AmericasAre Hawkins and Shaw right that this came about because of the strengthening of the democratic norm and the fear of US intervention on the part of Latin American states?
27 A question Is there enough focus on the quality of democracy in the Americas? Is the democracy that is protected/promoted often a minimalist, electoral democracy?