Latin America: The Pitfalls of U.S-Mirrored Presidential System in Banana Republics

There is something in common between the countries located in the Western Hemisphere—and is not just the geographic position. Latin America boasts an impressive string of coups, compared to the stable democracy of its American neighbor. Recent events in Brazil after Lula was sworn in for a third term as president against incumbent Bolsonaro, reminded us of the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, that disrupted a joint session of the Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results which kicked Donald Trump out of the White House. The election protests in Brazil began shortly after the conclusion of the general election’s second round on October 30, 2022, in which Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected president, and picked on January 8, 2023, when thousands of far-right supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed all three branches of Brazil’s government in the capital calling for military intervention. There are similarities and differences between the Brazil attack compared to January 6 attack in the United States. Both Bolsonaro and Trump have contested their electoral defeats, amplifying unsupported conspiracy theories of voter fraud. Also, the Venezuelan presidential crisis which lasted from 2019 to 2023 was paved by fraudulent elections. Instability is a hallmark of Latin America, with presidents remaining in office for even a few days or hours. The region has a long string of coups and dictatorships, often led by the military, and several presidents accused, convicted, or arrested for embezzlement, fraud, corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, gross human rights violations, and even murder. Latin America also has a long record of political instability; civilian presidents freely elected after the era of military dictatorships have often suffered “institutional coups” through impeachment, a legislative power that is often used to overthrow rulers “proved to be inefficient”. Therefore, impeachment seems to be a remedy for getting rid of unsuitable leaders. The removal of elected presidents by lawmakers after an impeachment vote opens a political crisis and triggers the reaction of the supporters of the ousted chief executive, and leads to widespread and bloody protests, which can end up in bloodshed. Constitutional remedies and proper democratic political behavior can balance the weaknesses of the presidential system.