Statement in defense of democracy and the rights of peoples

Defending democracy and the rights of peoples is an essential condition for the sovereignty and self-determination of the nations of the continent.

El CLACSO Working Group on Decolonial Epistemologies, Territorialities and Culture He publicly expresses his concern about the rise of totalitarianism in Latin America, especially in two recent episodes in countries of our continent such as Bolivia and Brazil.

The people of Bolivia suffered a coup d'état last November, which not only installed an illegitimate government in power but also seeks to dismantle the rights acquired by the Plurinational State of Bolivia. This situation directly impacts popular leaders, social movements, and the former ruling party, headed by the legitimate president, Evo Morales, who is currently in exile in Argentina after his time in Mexico. It appears that the objective of those currently in power in Bolivia is very clear: to establish a totalitarian regime that persecutes, prosecutes, and stigmatizes the indigenous majority, destroying their lives and violating their civil and human rights.

Totalitarianism has also recently manifested itself in Brazil. The then National Secretary of Culture, Ricardo Alvim, released a video referencing Joseph Goebbels, a well-known Nazi figure, which prompted widespread international condemnation. Although he was immediately dismissed, the current government's totalitarian tendencies persist, with its blatant dismantling of social rights and its full support for repression against social movements, indigenous communities, and Afro-Brazilians.

The defense of democracy and the rights of peoples is an essential condition for the sovereignty and self-determination of the nations of the continent. These ethical values ​​are shared and defended by intellectuals who place scientific production at the service of emancipation.