Organized crime and violence continue to pose serious challenges to democratic institutions in Mexico. Despite concerted efforts by the Mexican government to combat organized crime and reform the judiciary system, rates of crime, violence and impunity remain high.

Public confidence in Nicaraguan democratic institutions has diminished substantially over the past decade, as international and domestic election observers documented irregularities in presidential and municipal elections beginning in 2008.

Two decades have passed since the 1996 United Nations-sponsored peace accords ended 36 years of civil war in Guatemala. Although the country has seen some advances in the exercise of political rights, many challenges remain. Government institutions face difficulty in effectively responding to high levels of political violence, weak and opaque campaign finance practices and violations of election law. These issues are compounded by corruption, impunity from criminal acts, organized crime, and some of the highest homicide and femicide rates in the world.

Colombian democracy has been undermined by ongoing violence generated by left-wing guerrillas as well as paramilitary groups and their successors, both with ties to the extensive narcotics industry. President Juan Manuel Santos has supported an ambitious agenda for social reform, passing a Victims and Land Restitution law in 2011 and initiating peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) in 2012. The negotiation process was concluded in December 2016 with the passage of revised accords in the Colombian Congress.

For more than five decades, the Cuban government has controlled all aspects of the civic, economic and political life of the country’s 11 million citizens. Critics of the government’s domination regularly face severe reprisals. In 2016, the Cuban Commission of Human Rights and National Reconciliation -- an island-based monitoring organization—reported nearly 10,000 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention of Cuban journalists and democracy and human rights activists -- a 15 percent increase over the prior year.

Kyrgyzstan has experienced more openness and democratic reforms since independence in 1991 than many of its neighbors. The country has navigated peaceful transitions of power through elections and has a vocal civil society and active media sector. At the same time, Kyrgyzstan has experienced significant political upheaval and faces anti-democratic pressures, some internal and some external. NDI has responded to requests from elected officials, political parties and civil society organizations for help in more effectively incorporating citizens’ concerns into policies.

Throughout the years, the Georgian public has remained steadfast in their desire for a thriving democracy. Georgia has a number of democratic strengths in its favor, including an engaged citizenry, as well as a robust and active civil society.  However, as the country navigates its democratic path, there are a number of issues to address.  Political and media polarization is a significant challenge dividing the country and impacting its ability to unify around a common democratic agenda.