Democracies are designed to evolve. There are, however many examples today of governments throughout the world that have seen their democracies slide toward more autocratic tendencies. Often this deterioration of freedoms and norms begins with small changes that are easily overlooked as they creep in by little. These small changes can serve as an early warning sign of a democracy in decline, however most often they are only identified long afterward as historians look backward in time.

During this informal Zoom session, Leopoldo Lopez will discuss his experience of seeing this firsthand as a political leader in Venezuela and how this threat of emerging autocracies is not only limited to countries like Venezuela. Lopez will also discuss his work with the World Liberty Congress - a global alliance of democratic leaders that stand against this slide toward autocratic regimes and in defense of core values such as freedom, human rights, and the rule of law.

Leopoldo Lopez Mendoza, HKS Class of 1996, is the Founder and National Coordinator of Voluntad Popular, and a key leader among the political opposition in Venezuela. He was elected mayor of the Chacao Municipality of Caracas, Venezuela in July 2000. He was later arrested during pro-democracy street demonstrations, and sentenced to 13 years in prison. After several years in solitary confinement and later in house arrest, Lopez fled his home country in 2020.