Democracy in Latin America during COVID-19

This project takes a holistic, comparative and multidimensional approach to examine how COVID-19 is impacting democracy and socio-economic development in Latin American countries. In particular, it focuses on Brazil, El Salvador, Paraguay and
Costa Rica as case studies.

 

This is an international research collaboration project. The team consists of Alison Pang, Alvin Yang, Shauna Mclean and Paraney Babuharan and Joy Fitzgibbon. 

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The research centers around four questions:

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1) Has the pandemic caused democratic erosion?

 

2) What are its impacts on democratic institutions in these countries?

 

3) What are its impacts on socio-economic development in these societies?

 

4) What are potential domestic and international remedies for these adverse impacts?
 

The research especially focuses on the rising inequality and declining economic performance that create the conditions which contribute to democratic erosion. They will pay special attention to marginalized populations, such as people in the favelas of Brazil and Nicaraguan migrant workers in Costa Rica.

 

This project was funded by the “U of T COVID-19 Student Engagement Award” through the generosity of the University of Toronto Office of the Vice-President, International and the Faculty of Arts & Science.