Of course, to a large extent, the democratic governments that were established in developing countries had many shortcomings and showed some behaviors of repression or authoritarianism, rooted in their colonial past or anti-democratic vices.
Democracy has the virtue of being the most effective system to prevent access to political power through violence. Through mechanisms of legitimization and citizen participation, such as the holding of periodic elections to designate rulers and representatives, a certain course of stability is offered to the countries.
Of course, order and civility are the foundations for progress and social development in a broad sense, which is why we say that democracy, as a model of political organization, is necessary to achieve a sustainable welfare state over time.
However, it should be noted here that democracy itself is not a panacea whose arrival solves all ills. To illustrate this point, some analysts often wryly assert that democracy is the worst system of government, all but the rest.
Despite the fact that, at present, most of the nations contemplate in their constitutions and laws separation of powers, democratic institutions and periodic elections to elect public offices, there are pending subjects in their territories such as economic inequality, unemployment, and the discrimination that persist, generating discontent among populations.
All in all, we must insist that democracy is only the starting point for building societies with growth potential, and provide the necessary conditions to encourage people’s talent, creating environments of cooperation and prosperity.
On the other hand, where authoritarianism restricts freedoms, annuls the recognition of human rights, and uses violence to combat opponents and dissidents, any hint of progress will be a mirage. Without democracy there is no authentic well-being.
Having said this, it is necessary to reassess the concept of democracy in order to work on strengthening it through concrete actions. Expecting governments, in their different orders, to be the ones to do everything is delusional and leads to failure.