President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua
Given a history of brutal military dictatorships in Latin America, it’s no surprise that when democratic governments came to power in the 1980s, new leaders were constitutionally limited to one term in office. This was a protective measure to keep the past from repeating itself.
Recently, however, several countries in the region have amended their constitutions to permit re-elections. In some cases, the amendments allow a one-time re-election, while in others there is no limit. The list of presidents that have won successive terms as a result includes Carlos Menem of Argentina, Alberto Fujimori of Peru, Fernando H. Cardoso of Brazil, Evo Morales of Bolivia, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, Rafaél Correa of Ecuador and Alvaro Uribe of Colombia. In fact, Uribe is waiting to hear whether the Colombian constitutional court will allow him to run for a third straight term.
The latest example of a Latin American president seeking re-election is Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. Earlier this month, the Nicaraguan Supreme Court’s constitutional branch lifted a restriction that prevented Ortega from running for a second consecutive term in 2011.
It is no coincidence that Ortega took his case to Nicaragua’s highest court. This was a strategic move to avoid having to seek support from the national assembly or hold a referendum to change the constitution. If elected in 2011, Ortega will actually be serving a third term as president. He first served in 1984, shortly after the end of the Somoza dictatorship, which ruled Nicaragua for over 40 years.
In general, those who support re-election say that the average four-year term is not long enough for an administration to implement its long-term policies. Those who oppose it argue that an important aspect of democracy is letting the system change hands every few years as a check on presidential power.
Whether it is a left-wing Ortega or a right-wing Uribe who seeks re-election, a president should not be allowed to run a country indefinitely, or even for three successive terms. Term limits are crucial for healthy democracies.
Erika de la Garza is the program director of the Latin American Initiative at the Baker Institute. Her chief areas of interest include U.S.-Latin American relations; emerging leadership; coalition building between public, private and civil society actors; and trade and business development in Latin America.