---
title: Scholars warn of global authoritarian crisis at Iepri's 40th anniversary
url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/scholars-warn-of-global-authoritarian-crisis-at-iepris-40th-anniversary
published: 2026-10-12T17:49:18+00:00
language: en
section: Culture and Ideas
source: https://www.religiondigital.org/america/ad-portas-crisis-autoritaria-profesor-eduardo-pizarro_1_1469091.html
organizations: Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Yale University, University of Gothenburg, University of Bedfordshire, London School of Economics and Political Science
publisher: FaithfulNews
---

# Scholars warn of global authoritarian crisis at Iepri's 40th anniversary

International researchers gathered at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia to discuss the severe deterioration of democratic institutions worldwide. The event, held between September 28 and 30, 2026, was organized by the Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Relaciones Internacionales to mark its 40th anniversary. Participants emphasized that democracy and peace are not irreversible achievements and that authoritarianism is advancing through both violent and legal mechanisms.

Elisabeth Wood, a professor of Political Science at Yale University, presented data from the Varieties of Democracy project, which is based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. According to 2025 figures, nearly three quarters of the world's population now lives under autocratic regimes, while only 7 percent resides in liberal democracies. Wood noted that the United States lost its status as a liberal democracy for the first time in 50 years. She observed that the decline in the United States has been faster than the deterioration recorded in Hungary and Turkey.

The researchers explained that elected leaders can use technically legal mechanisms to break democratic norms and progressively restrict rights and participation spaces. This erosion is compounded by economic inequality and the influence of economic power over political decisions. Violence against political and civic opposition is a key feature of this trend, extending beyond armed conflicts to include what the speakers described as techno-fascism. Wood highlighted that many episodes of the so-called third wave of autocratization have been reversed, citing the transitions in Poland and Brazil as examples.

The discussion also addressed the impact of polarization and inequality on academic freedom, censorship, and state surveillance. Speakers pointed to the repression of journalists and dissenting voices as a loss of freedom of expression. Specific concerns were raised regarding the destruction of the United States Agency for International Development and the Institute of Peace in the United States by the magnate Musk. The marginalization of the United States Congress and the justification of a state of war without congressional consent were also cited as factors contributing to extrajudicial executions in the Caribbean and the persecution of migrants by ICE.

The scholars argued that the world is facing a wave of technocratic governments and techno-feudalism. They called for a change in approach, including unified political opposition, independent mass media, and massive, sustained, non-violent protests by active civil society. Wood concluded by stating that society must think about how to reverse and erode power to reconstruct true democracy, including in Colombia.

During the opening ceremony on September 28, 2026, José Ismael Peña, the rector of the Universidad Nacional, highlighted the Iepri as a key intellectual contribution of the university for understanding Colombia and its relationship with the world. He stated that the institute has never separated academic rigor from public responsibility. The rector described the institution's work as rigorous, interdisciplinary, and public social science that poses complex questions to complex problems.

Lariza Pizano, a journalist, analyzed the institute's history in an article for El Espectador on October 4, 2026. She noted that the Iepri was created by Marco Palacios and Francisco Leal to seek deep explanations for the Colombian tragedy. Its milestones began in 1987 when it led the pioneering Commission on the Study of Violence, opening a path of dialogue between academia and the state. The institute's method involves weekly argumentation spaces, which Eduardo Pizarro named Golgotas, where researchers support their texts with evidence. This approach has challenged common assumptions, such as poverty as the sole explanation for violence and the idea of a perpetual crisis.

## This story in other languages

- [Français](https://www.faithfulnews.com/fr/des-chercheurs-alertent-sur-une-crise-autoritaire-mondiale-lors-dun-seminaire-universitaire)