Episode 65: ‘The Year of Democracy:’ Assessing Democratic Backsliding in Latin America with Ambassador Jimmy Story

Amidst the global wave of democratic elections in 2024, voters in six Latin American countries have already or will head to the polls to decide the future of their countries. Yet, for as much as this year marks an impressive milestone for democracy, emboldened authoritarian leaders and worrying trends in democratic backsliding threaten to derail democratic progress in the region. The Precision-Guided podcast sits down with U.S. Ambassador Jimmy Story to discuss democratization trends and analyze their implications for the future of democracy in Latin America.

About the Guest

Ambassador James B. Story is a career diplomat who most recently served as U.S. Ambassador for the Venezuela Affairs Unit, located at the United States Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. He previously served as the Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Caracas, Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Director of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Office for the Western Hemisphere, and Senior Civilian Representative in Southeastern Afghanistan. In addition to Ambassador Story’s State Department service, he also serves as a Senior State Department Fellow at the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. He most recently taught a capstone course on rising illiberalism in the Americas.

Views expressed are personal and do not represent the views of GSSR or any other entity.