Democracy is a contract whose guarantor is a committed citizenry. Every right dies if duties are not exercised
14ymedio, Miami, 17 November 2024 — Unfortunately, a significant number of citizens around the world do not fully realize the absolute truth expressed by Winston Churchill when he said: “Democracy is the worst system of government, except for all the others that have been invented,” a reason that leads many to neglect it and fail to enjoy it.
A genuine democracy must be shaped by the full enjoyment of freedom, the rule of law, fair justice and equality of opportunity for all.
Democracy requires powerful political parties, not fraternities. Parties are the appropriate instrument to educate the electorate and those aspiring to public office. The ideal link between the electorate and the candidates, a relative guarantee that the elected official will adjust to the proposals of the political group to which he belongs.
The media, whomever they may be, play a fundamental role in democratic society, as long as they are not corrupted by spurious interests.
It is very true that democratic management is not perfect, that a well-orchestrated electoral machine can bring the most vile to power and, even worse, that this same democracy disappears because we elect to lead it those who are committed to its destruction, as has happened in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia.
It is very true that democratic management is not perfect, that a well-orchestrated electoral machine can bring the most vile to power
We must never lose sight, even in the most solid democracies, that behind every electoral crusade and the most relevant politicians, there are operators and managers who are the ones who draw up many of the guidelines on which the campaign will be developed. Subjects who study our expectations to achieve their purposes, not always beneficial.
These strategists seek to reduce the votes for their opponents, in a kind of war without shots where enemy casualties lead to victory, not always for the best, but even so, democracy, as long as it is respected, must offer us the opportunity for periodic change, the alternation in power, one of its key premises.
These are unavoidable risks, but there are also antidotes, and that is to fulfill our obligation as citizens to be informed. Investigate different sources about the candidates and the proposals. Try to find out what and who is behind the formulas, particularly those that appear to be the most beneficial.
Political campaigns are risky for candidates, but also for the electorate. We should never choose a candidate based on their appearance or the sympathy they generates, skin color, gender, nationality or religion. Our commitment is to choose the most capable and the one who can show the electorate the best record of public service.
Awareness of this dilemma has led our Alexis Ortiz, a Venezuelan journalist and politician who honors me with his friendship, to start a project on the popular YouTube network that gives the title to this column.
The main objective of Ciudad Democracia is to motivate and encourage citizens to actively participate in the enjoyment of their rights and the fulfillment of their duties. To raise awareness that there are no rights if obligations are not fulfilled and vice versa.
Ortiz and his team are driven by the experience of having lost democracy in Venezuela
Democracy is a contract whose guarantor is a citizenry committed to its enforcement. Every right dies if duties are not exercised, because predators will never be lacking in any society, including a democratic one, where conditions exist for them to strip us of our prerogatives.
Ortiz and his team are driven by the experience of having lost democracy in Venezuela through elections, while appreciating that there are other nations at risk of losing it due to the same conditions.
The military coup of 1992 did not bring Hugo Chavez to power, it was the popular vote, the frustration of an electorate disillusioned by the mismanagement of some unscrupulous politicians, who betrayed the social contract to which we all owe ourselves, which was also not fulfilled by the voters by not subjecting the candidates to an appropriate examination.
Ciudad Democracia has made a global commitment to participate in the education of all, fulfilling Martí’s postulate – “education is the only way to save oneself from slavery… A nation of educated men will always be a nation of free men” – while teaching us that there are nations with an imperial vocation, such as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, committed to totalitarian variants that lead to slavery.
The project of Ortiz and his associates is important for everyone. Let us support Ciudad Democracia to defend the rights of all.
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