Ciudadanizar la democracia en la era de la desacralización electoral: mecanismos de participación en América Latina

In Latin America, the general acceptance of the democratic values coexists with the perception that political elites are not responsive and with the popular conviction that law enforcement is differentiated, leading to Electoral Desacralization. The effect produced is a pool of negative emotions capitalized by political options with essentialist and exclusive discourses. Does Direct Democracy guarantee that citizens take part in public affairs and dispose of spaces in decision-making processes? This essay compares Mechanisms of Direct Democracy in Mexico and Colombia to assess whether they meet the expectations of making democracy more participatory, or whether they are up-to-date modalities of clientelist, patrimonial, or plebiscitary practices. We consider that plebiscites, consultations, referendums, and citizens’ initiatives create an opportunity for the formation of public action networks and have the effect of creating citizenship.