The Dominican Republic made headlines about it’s beaches this week-- and it wasn’t for it’s miles of pristine tropical white-sand beaches. It was for waves upon waves of trash that had engulfed Montesinos Beach in the capital, Santo Domingo. The government deployed hundreds of city workers with help from volunteers to tackle the ecological mess.
A Silent Killer
Crime has appeared as a central problem for citizens, politicians and the media in Latin America in last two decades. In this context, increased concerns about public safety impacts the political and electoral agenda. In Argentina, this process began at the end of the nineties but became especially prominent during the 2015 presidential election when all candidates forcefully supported more police, more video cameras, and more penalties.
The crisis of political representation is pushing contemporary democracies to search for new legitimating mechanisms, including higher levels of transparency, openness and participation in political decision-making. This trend is also reaching constitution-making, an area formerly restricted to experts and representatives. Participation and inclusiveness seem to be requisites for a Constitution to be legitimate and to produce adherence.
RESUMEN
