Global freedom plummets precipitously in 2023, a research claims

US: According to Freedom House’s report on Thursday, 2023 saw severe, global defeats for democracy as a number of elections were tainted by violence and deception.

The pro-democracy advocacy and research organization, sponsored by the United States, downgraded Ecuador from free to partially free and upgraded Thailand from not free to partly free in its annual report.

In 52 nations, political rights and civil freedoms decreased overall, while just 21 witnessed advances. This is the 18th year in a row that worldwide freedom has decreased, and the trend is far more uneven than it was the year before.

Co-author Yana Gorokhovskaia of the study said, “Even if you look at it region by region, usually we are able to say that one is an outlier, but every single region registered a decline.”

“The deterioration is pretty widespread,” she said.

The research discussed incumbents’ (ineffective) attempts non Guatemala, Poland, Zimbabwe, Turkey, and Cambodia “to control electoral competition, hinder their political opponents or prevent them from taking power.”

Due to violent criminal gangs interfering with the election, including the death of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio during a campaign speech, Ecuador was demoted.

Even though establishment forces stopped young progressive Pita Limjaroenrat, whose Move Forward Party won the most seats, from becoming prime minister, Thailand was improved as a result of competitive elections.

“This isn’t, I would say, a full-scale victory for democracy or freedom and Thailand,” Gorokhovskaia said.

However, she considered it a step forward as Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister and business magnate,’s Pheu Thai party, which came in second, was permitted to seize power after years of suppression by the establishment supported by the military.

Fiji earned seven points, the most increase on Freedom House’s 100-point scale.

Listed as somewhat free, Frank Bainimarama has commanded the Pacific island since a bloodless revolution in 2006; people overthrew him in a tight election conducted in December 2022.

According to Gorokhovskaia, Fiji has made significant strides since the election, such as lowering censorship and changing voter registration regulations to increase the involvement of women.