Topic: Authoritarianism and Democracy
Country: Venezuela
Delegate Name: Hudson Yu
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Venezuela position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
The constant struggle between authoritarianism and democracy has been at the center of global politics since the formation of democratic government. The doctrine of democracy, which parades government representation of its people’s desires, has failed in practice time and time again. In many cases, fragile democracies established in developing nations have transitioned to authoritarian control. This has been exemplified by the collapse of democracies in Thailand, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Nicaragua. As a committee, our body must evaluate the role that increased government supervision may play in development, and asses how civil liberties may help or hinder sustainable growth.
A political system that improves living standards, raises incomes, and reduces poverty can reasonably be considered successful. Bearing this in mind, the delegation of Venezuela raises a profound question- does the method with which these ends are achieved warrant the infringement of national sovereignty?The nation of Venezuela is no stranger to political turmoil. Under its democratic system of government, some of its citizens are clearly not suited to the responsibilities that come with individual political power and civil liberties. Under Venezuela’s constitution, all of its citizens are guaranteed freedom of speech, yet they choose to riot violently. However, this issue extends beyond Venezuela’s own borders. In 2002, the United States government attempted to facilitate a coup through its support of insurgency in local media, going as far as to support private media organizations that openly backed a coup. In response to this, Venezuela’s government retains a light influence over its state media. After all, a government that is mindful of the welfare of its citizens has every reason to operate the media in order to provide accurate and reliable news. In light of this anecdote, it is important to be cognizant of the many factors that are at play when nations make “auhtoritarian” policy moves and to consider that seemingly authoritarian governments can be the most democratic.
Finally, the delegation of Venezuela invites the international community to reconsider their preconceived notions in regards to government. Government influence of certain facets of society is in many cases, justified, as well as necessary. Under close examination, increased government control instills discipline in its citizens due to more efficiently enforced laws. This promotes societal order and therefore streamlines the process of development. Additionally, development can be promoted under economic supervision from the government because it can prevent monopolies, which can easily rise up in developing nations, hindering healthy economic competition and growth. Government control can also extend to pice floors, which are in many cases necessary to preserve growing industries. Finally, with increased executive control, having clear policy goals and accelerated law making processes can lead to rapid development because faster executive decisions generally lead to faster change. By and large, it is important to remember the right to national sovereignty possessed by every nation, and as a body, not to attempt to govern outside of our own respective borders.
