Experts Warn of Democratic Decline Under Trump

Quick Summary

• Meeting Details: President Donald Trump met Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House in mid-April. They discussed deporting alleged gang-related migrants to El Salvador’s prisons.
• Deportation error: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident and U.S. citizen’s spouse, was wrongly deported due to an administrative error. The Supreme Court ruled he must be returned, but both leaders rejected compliance publicly.
• Bukele’s Governance Record: Bukele drastically reduced El Salvador’s homicide rates through mass incarcerations, ousting judges and prosecutors; 1.7% of the country’s population is behind bars without trials.
• Democratic Concerns in the U.S.: Experts compare Trump’s governance style to burgeoning autocracies globally, citing judicial defiance, media suppression, retaliation against critics, and consolidating executive power.
• Judicial Independence Threat: Trump’s administration actively challenges court rulings including ignoring injunctions related to deportations under dated laws like the Alien Enemies Act from 1798.
• Freedom Ratings Updates: Recent surveys ranked U.S. democracy below Mexico and Poland with declining confidence among political scientists regarding free speech protections and judicial independence.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The events highlight broader questions about global democratic integrity and rule of law relevant for India as the world’s largest democracy. As seen above:

1. Judicial independence remains a cornerstone for any democratic framework; whether in India or elsewhere globally eroding legal safeguards risk institutional weakening.

2.Autocratic moves circumventing courts decisions should certainly cement ongoing vigilance especially wherein South Asia also regional quasi democrat trends lingers