Safeguarding Democracy? The regional Democratic Charters and their (lack of) application in Venezuela ́s Crisis

This work draws a comparison between the democratic charters from OAS, UNASUR, and MERCOSUR, analyzing what they understand by ́rupture of the democratic order ́, what mechanisms for action they establish in order to mediate in case a democratic crisis should arise in the region, which are the similarities and differences between the three instruments, and which are the potential opportunities for improvement within these legal frameworks. Moreover, this article discusses the regional responses towards the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, taking into account the three democratic charters aforementioned, and emphasizing the consequences this crisis can have in terms of regional security and stability, in particular, due to the constant flux of irregular migrants and refugees to neighboring Latin American countries, and to the rest of the region.