The document discusses the prevalence of dictatorships and false democracies, noting that 92% of countries do not exercise full democracy, with only 8% classified as such. It outlines characteristics of dictatorships, analyzes democracy indices, and proposes ways to achieve full democracy through participatory means, emphasizing the importance of civil society mobilization. The author warns that the failure of current representative democracy creates a fertile ground for authoritarianism and neofascism, calling for a broad anti-fascist front in defense of true democratic values.

1. 1
DICTATORSHIPS IN THE WORLD – HOW TO AVOID AND ELIMINATE
THEM
Fernando Alcoforado*
The aim of this article is to show how many dictatorships there are in the world, how to
avoid and eliminate them, and how to ensure that democracies are built in all parts of the
world. The article published by Igor Zimermann, How many dictatorships still exist in
the world? [1], reports that, according to the Freedom House report, there are 49
dictatorships in the world, 18 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 12 in the Middle East and North
Africa, 8 in Asia-Pacific, 7 in Eurasia, 3 in the Americas, and only 1 in Europe.
Historically, dictatorships have always resulted from the need of the dominant social
classes to maintain their economic power and from the rulers to maintain their political
power by crushing their opponents. The general characteristics of a dictatorship are the
use of state violence to control or repress its citizens, the use censorship and the end of
civil liberties, the suppression or control of other powers, legislative and judicial,
restrictions on the activities of the press and the prohibition of democratic elections.
According to Igor Zimermann [1], a dictatorship is a form of government in which a
person or a small group has absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.
This definition is incomplete because it should also consider the dictatorship exercised
by political parties, as is the case in socialist countries, whose power is exercised with
constitutional limitations established by them.
Figure 1 shows the countries that live under dictatorships, partially free and free.
Figure 1 - Countries under dictatorships, partially free and free in the world
Source: https://www.politize.com.br/quantas-ditaduras-ainda-existem/

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Analysis of Figure 1 shows that the regions of the planet where dictatorships prevail are
Eurasia, the Middle East and Africa (countries in red color). According to the Freedom
House report, the countries considered dictatorships, or not free, in red in Figure 1, are
those that hold elections in non-democratic processes, or that do not even have elections,
and whose rulers act to restrict the civil liberties of their citizens. In the category of
partially free countries, in green in Figure 1, are those in which individuals are subject to
government intervention in their decision-making, but which still have basic political
processes guaranteed. The countries considered free, in yellow in Figure 1, are those that
have consolidated democracies and guaranteed civil liberties.
To reach this conclusion, Freedom House uses a combination of data provided by
governments, NGOs, surveys, contacts with locals, etc., which are then analyzed by a
group of consultants and experts, with the aim of ratifying the data and, subsequently,
defining the situation of the country analyzed. The main topics observed are those related
to political rights, such as the electoral process and political pluralism, for example, and
civil liberties related to freedom of expression and belief, for example [1]. It is worth
noting that the Freedom House classification presents distortions, such as, for example,
Brazil, which obtained 75 points, is classified as one of the free countries and is on par
with Sweden, which has a score of 100, according to Freedom House.
The distortions presented in Figure 1, which presents countries considered free but are
not, can be eliminated by analyzing the article El estado de la democracia en el mundo
2022 (The State of Democracy in the World 2022) [2], which reports which countries are
classified as full democracies, deficient democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian
regimes in the world. In this article, the Democracy Index in 2022 is a material published
every year by the Intelligence Unit of The Economist, a research and analysis company
of the Economist Group, also responsible for publishing the magazine of the same name.
The criteria used in this evaluation involve the quality of the electoral process, the degree
of pluralism, the efficiency of the government, the level of political participation of the
population, the political culture and the guarantee of civil liberties. The countries that are
considered full democracies by the Democracy Index in 2022 met five criteria described
below ]3]:
• Having a free and fair electoral process and pluralism;
• Having an effective functioning of the government;
• Having high political participation of citizens;
• Having a democratic political culture;
• Having guaranteed civil liberties.
The Democracy Index in 2022 assigns a score from 0 to 10 for each criterion, and the
average of the five scores results in the country's final score. Countries that have a score
between 8 and 10 are classified as full democracies. Countries that have a score between
6 and 7 are classified as deficient democracies. Countries that have a score between 5 and
6 are classified as hybrid regimes. Countries that have a score between 0 and 3 are
classified as authoritarian regimes [3]. It can be said that countries classified as deficient
democracies and hybrid regimes are false democracies, and countries classified as
authoritarian regimes are dictatorships. According to the Democracy Index in 2022,
almost half of the world's population lives in some type of democracy (45.3%). Only 8%
reside in a “full democracy”. It can therefore be seen that 92% of the world's countries do
not exercise full democracy.

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Figure 2 shows which countries are classified as full democracies, deficient democracies,
hybrid regimes and authoritarian regimes.
Figure 2 - Full democracies, deficient democracies, hybrid regimes and
authoritarian regimes in the world
Source: https://es.statista.com/grafico/19319/paises-y-territorios-clasificados-segun-el-indice-de-
democracia-global/
In the most recent result of the Democracy Index]3, the largest full democracies in the
world are, in order, the following: 1) Norway; 2) New Zealand; 3) Iceland; 4) Sweden; 5)
Finland; 6) Denmark; 7) Switzerland; 8) Ireland; 9) Netherlands (Holland); and, 10)
Taiwan.
Norway is the most democratic country in the world according to the Democracy Index
in 2022 with a score of 9.81 out of 10, leading the ranking for the tenth consecutive year.
Norway stands out for its high political participation, freedom of speech and press, respect
for human rights, and government transparency. New Zealand is in second place with a
score of 9.26. New Zealand is praised for its effective management of the COVID-19
pandemic, which has strengthened public trust in institutions and in the leadership of
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Iceland is in third place in the ranking because it scored
9.25. Iceland is recognized for its gender equality, political diversity, and civic culture.
Sweden is in fourth place among the leading democratic countries with a score of 9.24. It
stands out for its democratic stability, fair and pluralistic electoral system, freedom of the
press, and active civil society. Finland has a score of 9.20, placing it in fifth place in the
ranking. Finland is admired for its quality education, welfare state, low corruption, and
high level of trust in institutions [3].

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Denmark has a score of 9.11, placing it in sixth place in the index. Its participatory
democracy, freedom of expression and association, protection of minority rights and
government efficiency are the main highlights. Switzerland is in seventh place in the
ranking, with a score of 9.03. Switzerland is known for its decentralized political system,
which allows for broad popular participation through referendums and popular initiatives.
Ireland has a score of 8.96, ranking eighth in the index. Ireland stands out for its inclusive
political culture, which has allowed advances on issues such as same-sex marriage and
legalized abortion. The Netherlands, or Holland, is the country that occupies ninth place
in the ranking with a score of 8.92, which stands out for its political and cultural diversity,
freedom of the press and religion, respect for the rule of law and the environment. Taiwan
is in tenth place among the main democratic countries, with a score of 8.82 out of 10.
Taiwan is recognized for its defense of democracy and human rights. Brazil occupies the
51st position in the ranking of the democratic countries [3].
Conclusions
As explained above, dictatorships and false democracies (deficient democracies and
hybrid regimes) predominate in the world in which we live, accounting for 92% of the
countries in the world. Only 8% of the countries in the world are classified as full
democracies. How can dictatorships and false democracies be transformed into full
democracies in all countries in the world? There are some elements generally accepted
by all about what would make a truly democratic society: 1) offering guaranteed security
to all citizens who should not fear the loss of their lives or physical harm; 2) providing
the best possible quality of medical care to all members of society; 3) grant access to food
and water for all citizens so that no one goes hungry or thirsty; 4) provide basic housing
conditions for all citizens; 5) have a democratic legislative system whose laws are
established to preserve the well-being of the population; 6) provide an educational system
that guarantees equal access to high-level education for all people with the aim of making
its population highly educated; 7) promote economic and social development whose fruits
are shared by the entire population; 8) protect the environment; 9) ensure freedom of
thought, belief, religion, affiliation and expression for the population; and, 10) ensure the
population's right to participate in government decisions through plebiscite or referendum
[3]. These are the conditions for all countries in the world to be classified as full
democracies.
Democracy is not the government of one man. Democracy is also not the government of
a group, be it a social class or a caste. Democracy can only be the government of the
people, because the people are really the ones who should govern the government,
although they do so indirectly through representatives chosen through voting. This is the
essence of representative democracy. The first condition for democracy to exist is popular
election, the choice of rulers and their representatives by the people. However, elections
are not enough to characterize democracy. Democracy is not limited to elections. There
is no democracy without elections, but there are elections without democracy. In the vast
majority of so-called democratic countries, there is no democracy. There is an elective
dictatorship. There is no government of the people, there is a constitutional autocracy led
by the President of the Republic, State Governors and Municipal Mayors who do
whatever they want in the exercise of power without taking into account the wishes of the
population [3]. This is the case in Brazil, the United States, France, among others.
Due to the complexity of modern society, another form of political organization has
become a requirement, that of indirect democracy, also called representative democracy,
which means that people are elected, by vote, to "represent" a people, a population, a

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specific group, community, etc. A true representative democracy is one in which the
elected official defends the interests of the population that elected him and systematically
reports on his mandate to his party and the electorate. Parties and the electorate should
have the power to revoke the mandate of an elected official in the event of failure to
comply with the party program and its electoral promises and for bad behavior.
Furthermore, crucial decisions that are fundamental to the interests of the population
should be taken directly by the people through a plebiscite and/or referendum and not
exclusively by the executive branch or parliament [3].
To eliminate the distortions of representative democracy in the world, it is essential to
institutionalize participatory democracy through the use of plebiscites or referendums, as
is already the case in several European countries, particularly in Switzerland and in
several Scandinavian countries, considered the ideal model for the exercise of political
power based on public debate between rulers and free citizens in equal conditions of
participation. Plebiscites and referendums are consultations with the people to decide on
matters of relevance to the nation in matters of a constitutional, legislative or
administrative nature. The main distinction between them is that a plebiscite is called
prior to the creation of the legislative or administrative act that deals with the matter at
hand, and a referendum is called later, with the people having the power to ratify or reject
the proposal [3]. The failure of representative democracy as it is practiced in several
countries around the world is paving the way for its own demise, creating fertile ground
for the advent of regimes of exception or dictatorships in the face of the frustration of the
majority of the population, who realize every day that they are participating in a deception
by electing false representatives. This dissatisfaction with representative democracy is
already manifested in each election in the increase in null and blank votes, as well as in
protests on social media. In order to build full democracy in the vast majority of countries
in the world, a National Constituent Assembly must be convened in each country with
the purpose of institutionalizing full participatory democracy so that the people can
approve or reject the decisions that are made by the powers of the Republic through a
plebiscite or referendum, among other measures [3].
The construction of the utopia of full democracy in the vast majority of countries in the
world is also necessary in view of the advance of neo-fascism in the world. Just as
Fascism and Nazism were established in Italy and Germany, respectively, during the
1920s and 1930s of the 20th century, neofascism seeks to destroy democracy in order to
establish a strong, dictatorial state, whose authority would be imposed through violence,
repression and political propaganda. Fascists and Nazis came to power, respectively, in
Italy and Germany through legal, democratic means, only to later destroy democracy. Just
as fascism and Nazism, neofascism emerged in the contemporary era with emotional,
irrational outcry, based on manly promises of renewed national vigor. The Armed Forces
and the police did not oppose fascist violence in Mussolini's Italy or Nazi violence in
Hitler's Germany. The Armed Forces and the police also placed themselves at the service
of fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany. History shows that republican institutions
have not always been a barrier to fascism. This almost happened in Brazil with the
Bolsonaro government [3].
Democracy needs to be strengthened in the vast majority of countries in the world in the
face of concrete threats to its existence from far-right political forces. The failure of
representative democracy in the vast majority of countries in the world is contributing to
the worsening of political problems by paving the way for its own demise, constituting
fertile ground for the advent of regimes of exception in the face of the frustration of the
majority of the population who realize every day that they are participating in a deception

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by electing false representatives. The implementation of a full democracy depends on the
mobilization of civil society, because only with a change in the correlation of forces in
society is it possible to counter the interests of the majority of the population with the
repressive and corporate logic of the state apparatus currently dominated by a minority.
The electoral space, the only achievement that seems to have remained from the intense
mobilizations for the democratization of the State in several countries around the world,
shows its limits by being dissociated from social mobilization and the possibility of
controlling those elected [3].
To prevent the end of the current democratic system in Brazil and other countries around
the world, it is not enough to trust in republican institutions that may undergo changes
that are contrary to the interests of the vast majority of the population through bills and
amendments to the Constitution by political forces that oppose the democratic system. To
prevent this from happening, a broad democratic and anti-fascist front must be formed in
Parliament and in Civil Society to defend full democracy and fight against the actions of
political forces that oppose the democratic system that are contrary to the interests of the
vast majority of the population and democracy in each country. In countries where
dictatorships exist, a broad front must be formed to fight for their overthrow and the
implementation of full representative democracy [3].
REFERENCES
1. ZIMERMANN, Igor. Quantas ditaduras ainda existem no mundo? Available on
the website <https://www.politize.com.br/quantas-ditaduras-ainda-existem/>.
2. GLOBAL STATE OF DEMOCRACY INICIATIVE. El estado de la democracia en
el mundo 2022. Available on the website
<https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/sites/default/files/2023-02/estado-de-la-
democracia-en-el-mundo-2022_0.pdf>.
3. ALCOFORADO, Fernando. How to make the utopia of building full democracy a
reality in all countries of the world, Chapter 3 of the book How to build a world of
peace, progress and happiness for all humanity. Curitiba: Editora a CRV, 2023.

Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member
of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science, IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia and of the
Bahia Academy of Education, engineer from the UFBA Polytechnic School and doctor in Territorial
Planning and Regional Development from the University of Barcelona, college professor (Engineering,
Economics and Administration) and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning,
regional planning, urban planning and energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering
and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic
Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of
the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning of Salvador, is the author of the books Globalização (Editora
Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São
Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do
desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Doctoral thesis. Barcelona University,
http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel,
São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era
Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social
Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG,
Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica,
Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate
ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores
Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no
Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV,
Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua
convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como inventar o futuro para mudar o

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mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade ameaçada e as estratégias para sua sobrevivência
(Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da tecnologia e sua contribuição ao progresso
e à sobrevivência da humanidade (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2022), a chapter in the book Flood Handbook
(CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida United States, 2022), How to protect human beings from threats to their
existence and avoid the extinction of humanity (Generis Publishing, Europe, Republic of Moldova,
Chișinău, 2023), A revolução da educação necessária ao Brasil na era contemporânea (Editora CRV,
Curitiba, 2023), Como construir um mundo de paz, progresso e felicidade para toda a humanidade (Editora
CRV, Curitiba, 2024) and How to build a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity (Editora
CRV, Curitiba, 2024).