Democracy in Latin America: Reasons for Hope or Pessimism?

In this episode of Sustainable Latam, hosts Alberto Souviron, Andrew Thompson, and Julian Seydoux are joined by Gerardo Berthin, President of Freedom House, to discuss the findings of the Freedom in the World 2026 report. The conversation centers on the "growing shadow of autocracy" and a 20-year global decline in freedom, specifically examining the resilience of democracy across Latin America.Gerardo provides a nuanced look at the region, highlighting Bolivia as a new bright spot of freedom while expressing concern over the institutional backsliding in El Salvador and the rise of "unmanageable" organized crime in countries such as Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador. The episode also dives into the "post-truth" political discourse surrounding crime rates, the impact of generative AI on democratic truth, and the complex path forward for a post-Maduro Venezuela.Production: Sustainable LatAmPresenters Andrew Thompson - International journalist & political-risk analyst with deep LatAm coverage (OBG, EIU, Latin News; ex-Head BBC Learning English).Alberto Souviron - International journalist and digital comms leader for EM investors; ex BBC/Newsweek/Lloyd’s Register. Julian Seydoux - AI-driven finance entrepreneur (FirmView AI, Fast Audit AI); ex-Moody’s/Consilium; cross-border EM & LatAm focus.