The region of Latin America stretches from Mexico in North America down to the bottom of South America, including parts of the Caribbean. With descendants of Amazonian, Aztec, and Andean Indians, as well as peoples of European and African origin, Latin America is culturally, ethnically and racially diverse. Most of Latin America was colonized by Spain, while Portugal and France also had a major influence. During the late 18th century, Latin Americans began fighting for independence. By 1898, most Latin American countries were independent, with Belize being the last to achieve independence in 1981.

Despite the spread of democracy in the past 40 years, pre-existing political crises, corruption, human rights abuses and economic challenges made Latin America ill-prepared for the devastating impact of COVID-19. Severe economic losses compounded by the failure of health systems during the pandemic deepened racial, ethnic and class inequalities. The pandemic exposed how the weakness of democratic institutions and inadequate checks and balances, as well as political corruption and poor management of their economies, are core dangers for Latin American democracies.

Even before the pandemic, support for democracy was at risk.

“The Latin America people’s support for democracy fell to 48 percent, the lowest level in recent years, while indifference between a democratic regime and an authoritarian one climbed from 16 percent to 28 percent. Dissatisfaction with democracy increased from 51 percent to 71 percent between 2009 and 2018,” said Daniel Zovatto, former Brookings senior fellow and director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

The failure of Latin American democracies to effectively manage the pandemic and its economic impact has only further diminished support for democracy. The danger to democracy is growing in El Salvador, Peru and Nicaragua; the constitutional process in Chile is at risk; and there have been violent protests and youth movements in Chile, Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The concern is that weakened democracies in Latin America pose a global threat.

Unfortunately, some democratic countries now see democracy itself as a threat, especially in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Political leaders and citizens in Latin America have to choose whether to defend democratic values and systems, or to slide into authoritarianism and give up freedoms for what may seem to be more stable economic and social structures. After all, in Italy under Mussolini “the trains ran on time.” Citizens understandably want to earn a living, get healthcare, better their families’ prospects and have predictable futures. Freedom and democracy do not by themselves pay the bills or feed families.

My forecast is the world will be increasingly sharply divided between democracies and autocratic regimes, and the resilience of each will be tested by their ability to manage climate change, refugees, pandemics, disasters and rapid technological change. This will inevitably create new conflicts. Unfortunately, this sharp divide could even lead to a Third World War between superpowers. My hope is to live in a world without war, but it is more likely to be a case of “welcome to reality,” where each leader’s self-interest and diminishing faith in democracy prevail.

• Dr. Zeyad Alshammari is the co-founder and executive director of the Quasar International Institute in Washington, DC, and adjunct professor - political science and international relations at NOVA.

Twitter: @zeyad9999