The Threat to Latin American Term Limits

Latin American presidential term limits are oftentimes in peril. Today, term limits, which have historically acted as an important check on authoritarianism, face a new threat: judicial assaults based upon human-rights considerations purportedly tied to international human-rights treaties. This essay outlines four cases of term-limit backsliding, in Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, their use of these novel arguments, and the consequences for each country. The essay concludes with an overview of relevant legal rulings and the ramifications for future would-be presidential overstayers and for democracy in Latin America.