The analyst values the political turmoil of El Salvador and the clear preoccupation with Washington over the authoritarian rumor of the country. Denounce the issues at the state of justice, vigil the democratic institutionalism and combat corruption at key points.
The president of the influential center of analysis, the American Dialogue Dialogue, Michael Shifter, analyzes the spiral of authoritarianism in which El Salvador has been embedded, with a governing body dominated in form and background by President Nayib Bukele’s figure.
As the head of this think tank that pushes the pulse of the region, Shifter has captured in clear messages that the administration of President Joe Biden and good part of the federal legislature, as democratic as some Republicans, he sent to the governor of Bukele. And it is not uncommon for the state diplomacy to be forced to move pieces to work in the North American Central Triangle convoy, a region that is a priority, but has more clear game rules.
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This expert, who is also a professor of the career of Exterior Service at the prestigious Georgetown University in Washington, gives a chair on Latin American politics, is a voice authorized to analyze the themes of the region. Michael Shifter het El Elario de Hoy on the panoramic salvadoran view from Washington.
What can be said of El Salvador at this time in Washington, with the new political scenario being consolidated and when the developments for the region unfolded?
The region in general will have a complicated moment. It was the antidote to the pandemic, but it ended up getting worse with the Covid-19 Legacy; in the case of El Salvador, it appears that there is a recent occupation by President Nayib Bukele’s governor. While it is true that it is notable for the level of support for the people in the country, the one with a quirky lack of its authoritarian tendencies has created much and now is a position that many Democrats like Washingtonians share.
The 9F President Nayib Bukele sat down in the chair of the Assembly, spoke the gong and aborted the plenary session. / Photo EDH Archive
Are there any detonating points to profile this authoritarian figure?
The hechos of February 9, 2020, with the assembly of the Legislative Assembly with the military, greatly influenced the perception that Bukele was being held. Luego hemos saw the attacks on the Independent communication media, which demonstrated the low tolerance in a climate of democratic culture. The perception in the United States has led to more concern about the authoritarian tendencies shown by Bukele’s governor.
While Bukele won the presidential election, he pointed out that there were signs of bipartisan disgust in El Salvador and that he was paying attention in relation to other processes in the region. Is there any substantive difference between Bukele and other Latin American democracies that he has left in the party system?
He defined a more analytical analysis of the arguments of some analysts as believing that he had defended Bukele claiming that he should not confuse what was happening in El Salvador with other countries such as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba, which transited into dictatorships and El Salvador hoy por hoy no es una dictadura, eso es cierto; without embarrassment, its anti-democratic behavior and against the norms and principles of the state of pre-occupational signaling; during all the time when standing in the power as ARENA as the FMLN, no one signs as the ones we saw with Bukele, a lot of tension and conflicts.
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On February 28, the El Salvador’s inconvenience will be unveiled by an Independent Assembly or one controlled by the Executive. How did President Joe Biden’s administration get into this new scenario?
Habrá que ver lo que pasa con las elecciones, pero yo creo que en cuanto a Bukele, la administración Biden ha mandado mensajes muy claros: la decisión de no recibirlo cuando vine a Washington dice mucho. There will be a challenge to redefine the relationship with El Salvador, obviously it is an important country for Biden’s politics in the region, but it is also very clear that the themes of democracy, human rights, free speech and combating corruption are part of the agenda, this week was the last four years, with Donald Trump.
Joe Biden, President of the United States. Photo / AFP
How can we hope for Biden’s support for the Northern Triangle, given that these three countries are currently in transit through various situations, both in terms of democracy?
It is a difficult region to stratify; without embarrassment, President Biden has made a clear compromise with the North American Triangle, as he has clearly shown when he became vice president. We know the import that is being applied here. It will treat to increase the conditions that exist from the origin of the irregular migration to the United States, but it will not be easy because the economic conditions and violence in all the region are difficult; to have to compromise and engage deeply in the region. Nadie doubted that it would take much time, but she had $ 4 million in dollars to make it.
How much action margin does the United States governing body have to work in the region, given that the previous anterior administration was very much alone on the migration issue?
United States is very important for Central America, these countries that are facing huge challenges and can be credited mayor cooperation with the United States; so that you can improve the conditions. In this sense, EE.UU. if there are margins of action, because the countries wanting the cooperation, but it will be surpassed by an efficiency and firm to discourage authoritarian governors, as we have seen before, and signals as it is not received by President Bukele here and some comments on that will influence the behavior of the books and goblins.
In addition, is the region still in the power of the north?
The United States has sufficient margins and resources, and the region is dependent on the United States in all economic, cultural, migratory, and all-time terms, there is no escape, this country is large and strong, and it is relatively central.
And the influence of China, which has seen as a gloom over the region?
I believe that China’s papel is a permanent presence, first in South America and now in North America as well, and I believe that its presence should be an estimate for the United States to increase cooperation with countries and compete with China, because each country offers different things in different areas. If so, they are moving societies in the region to present a more attractive alternative to China.
What did you do in the private sector in the actual salvadorean union?
El private sector in El Salvador cuts a papal fundamental; need to have strong clarity on the importance of the social agenda, to improve the health, education and other services that are not working well; it is clear that having a more open and democratic governing body converts to the private sector because of general conditions of stability, the authoritarian governs generate many divisions and chokes, which are not good for the private sector. In El Salvador and other countries there is a need for a social pact, within which the private sector plays a fundamental role.
Do you have any estimate of the impact of the pandemic on the democratic debilitating situation in the region, or did you have to respect it?
There are goblins who have approved the pandemic as voorwendsel vir to control the power, and always come to the goblins to invoke an emergency, because it allows more specific authoritative means to attend that emergency; ha habido algo de eso, la pandemia ha sido un factor de deterioro de condiocions en la region en eso ha generado descontento social también.