An Unfinished Transition: Latin America's Performance in Freedom in the World (Freedom HOUSE PRESENTS ...‪)‬

Many contemporary observers of Latin America seem to have short memories. International press coverage of the region is dominated by problems such as social discontent, crime and drug trafficking, and political corruption. With the rise of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, analysts warn of the dawn of a new age of populism and confrontation. All of these things are real or potential problems, to varying degrees. Yet it is important to keep in mind the immense progress that has been made over the past 35 years since the Freedom House survey Freedom, in the World began monitoring the region. A look at the numbers reminds us that Latin America has advanced impressively since the previous dark days of military dictatorships and corrupt autocracies. However, although the region's citizens and governments have largely defeated authoritarian governments, they must now confront the challenges posed by the ineffective state. There are two primary classifications used in the Freedom in the World survey. The first and broadest categorizes every country in the world as "Free," "Partly Free," or "Not Free." A second, more granular assessment involves assigning each nation two numerical scores. The first is for political rights, which include elections, political pluralism, and government functioning. The second evaluates civil liberties, which include freedom of expression, freedom of association, rule of law, and personal autonomy, including minority and women's rights. Each is scored on a 1 to 7 scale in which 1 is the best possible mark and 7 is the worst.