In their report Freedom in the World (2022), Freedom House (a non-profit, non-partisan organization) charts the expansion of authoritarian role in every region across the globe.
The report cites that “the present threat to democracy is the of 16 years of consecutive decline,” with 60 countries experiencing declines in the past year. Among the countries where there are noted declines in freedom are Tunisia, Nicaragua, Mali, Iran and Myanmar. The report also highlights the decline of freedom in the United States with the ongoing and persistent attacks on voting rights.
The authoritarian regimes are not isolated and are forming alliances amongst themselves. The report draws attention to the development of trade relations between Venezuela and other authoritarian regimes in Russia, China and Turkey.
While freedom is under attack across the globe, citizens in many of those countries are taking to the streets in resistance to autocracy and calling for democratic change through improvements in conditions for political rights and civil liberties. From the protests in Russia in opposition to the invasion of the Ukraine and Putin’s authoritarian rule, there are protests in many countries including Belarus, Sudan, Tunisia, Cuba and Myanmar.
The report also shows that there have been improvements over the past year in 25 countries which include Ecuador and Chile. The report also offers policy recommendations to resist and stem the tide of the spread of authoritarian regimes, such as working to strengthen democracy in our home countries by protecting fair and free elections.
Read and download the full report at https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2022/global-expansion-authoritarian-rule
