LUDMILA ANDRÉA

Democracy with Adjectives:Part I
Fictional Democracy

Fictional Democracy | Francisco Goldman, New York Times

This article is almost ten years old, however in light of the new presidential elections in Guatemala this topic of so-called ‘fictional democracy’ has a renewed validity in terms of analyzing policy-making in Guatemala under President Otto Pérez Molina.

Pérez assumed office only two weeks ago, on January 14, 2012. However, the stakes are high in a country with deep-rooted corruption and paralyzing poverty. The murder rate in Guatemala is roughly 39 per 100,000 people, among the world’s highest yearly homicide rates. Riddled with cartels, conflicts among drug gangs have long affected the social and political climate of the country. In addition to already turbulent circumstances, poverty and subsequent malnutrition are silent killers of a significant portion of the population.

Mr Pérez’s pledges of fighting crime and corruption resulted in his election. A retired military officer, Pérez is the first former military official since Guatemala’s return to democracy in 1986, to be elected President. Based on this, many critics worry that “as head of military intelligence during some of the country’s 36-year civil war, he must have known of the atrocities committed by his side” (The Economist). Regardless of such concerns, President Pérez’s intentions are admirable in theory, however it remains to be seen whether or not they materialize.

Collier and Levitsky actually use Guatemala as an example of an illiberal democracy where ‘free and fair elections’ are held but where not much else, in terms of democracy, is guaranteed. Guatemala, is

seen as democratic in terms of the procedural minimum definition.  By contrast, the diminished subtype ‘illiberal democracy’ would include only Guatemala, the case that specifically did not fit the root definition of democracy (Collier & Levitsky)

This idea of ‘illiberal’ or ‘fictional’ democracy continues to be relevant in Guatemala (and much of Latin America) where “criminals and mafiosos have found in ”democracy” the perfect Trojan Horse for attaining and preserving real power inside essentially hijacked states” (Fictional Democracy). As someone who has witnessed first-hand the atrocities that corruption, poverty and ensuing desperation can bring (I know several friends and family members who have been assaulted and/or kidnapped in Guatemala) I remain skeptical. I take Pérez’s optimistic promises with a grain of salt while simultaneously remaining hopeful that he can manage to deliver on some of them. “Guatemala isn’t the only place in the world where law, language and life are treated with contempt. But if the international community cannot free this small country’s democracy from usurpation by a criminal army-mafia, how can it succeed elsewhere?” Ten years later, this question remains relevant. Like Goldman, I too wonder how likely democracy is to succeed in Guatemala this time around.