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June 11, 2026Latin American Politics and SocietyOpen Access

Democracy Under Strain: Declining Public Support, Institutional Weakening, and Press Freedom in Costa Rica

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Authors

MEMónica Lara Escalante

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Overview

Mixed-methods analysis reveals sustained pressure on press freedom in Costa Rica despite institutional resilience, suggesting a unique democratic condition.

Key Points

  • This article aims to explore the concept of ‘democracy under strain’ in Costa Rica amidst rising populism and attacks on institutions.
  • Employ mixed-methods strategy using Latin American Public Opinion Project survey data
  • Analyze press freedom indexes and journalistic reports
  • Operationalize three indicators: press freedom decline, institutional delegitimization, citizen support for democracy decline.
  • Press freedom remains under significant pressure despite high citizen disapproval of anti-press aggression.
  • Institutions are formally intact, indicating a unique resilience despite challenges.
  • Historical precedents for this level of pressure on democracy in Costa Rica are lacking.

Cite This Study

Mónica Lara Escalante (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2a52d980c8f91e7f39ec00https://doi.org/10.1017/lap.2026.10060
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Is Costa Rica's Democracy Failing?2025
  2. 2The Weakening of Democracy in Latin America: Factors of Institutional Erosion12025 · 1 citations
  3. 3Contrasting Democratic Trajectories: A Comparative Analysis of Costa Rica and Nicaragua2024
  4. 4Variations of Democratic Decline in Central America2026
  5. 5The Effectiveness of Discursive Frames Deployed by Latin America’s Right-wing Populists: Evidence from Costa Rica2026