Beyond the effects on health, the COVID-19 pandemic has had huge effects on the economy, but also on politics in countries around the world. More specifically, in certain countries, it has impacted democracy in a negative way. This presentation will examine the overall impact of the pandemic on countries with democratic regimes, with emphasis on the democratic backsliding that has occurred in some of them. It will also look at the tightening of authoritarianism and human rights violations in countries that were already authoritarian when the pandemic began. Quantitative indicators that show the impact of the pandemic will be also discussed.
Dinorah Azpuru, professor of political science, teaches courses on comparative politics. She researches issues related to democracy in general, with emphasis on Latin America. Through the analysis of survey data, she studies public opinion about democracy, democratic values and behavior such as voting behavior. Azpuru earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in teaching and research from University Rafael Landivar, Guatemala. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.
