An environmental activist holds a poster that reads in Spanish "No to deforestation" to protest an open-pit gold mining project in Costa Rica. AP Photo/Kent Gilbert. All rights reserved.
Francesc Badia i Dalmases: The new political cycle in Latin America, which entails taking turns in office, and the economic crisis, which imposes policies to restrict government spending, have created a new dynamic in the region. Power switching may help secure the achievements made, but it can also open the door to regressive changes. There has been clear progress, for instance, in relation to judicial independence—a core issue for the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF). Do you see the potential consolidation of these advances, or do you see a threat of backsliding at this new stage?
Katya Salazar: In spite of the notable advances of the past decade, poverty and inequality persist. Significant population groups have left those categories, but others have entered. Our public institutions have been strengthened, but they remain weak in terms of their ability to respond to the new realities and challenges facing the region, including the increasingly immense power of corporations. We have judiciaries that are more solid, transparent, and better funded than 20 years ago, but they continue to be inefficient.
