It's obviously a very important issue, and something that the Canadian government is concerned with in terms of the declining support for democracy in a number of countries in the region.
The research shows that while a majority of people in most countries in Latin America still believe that democracy's the best form of government, the decline is obviously very concerning. We know, for example, that organized crime is playing a role both in challenging democratic institutions and in eroding support for democracy. Corruption erodes support for democracy as well.
The violence and insecurity created by organized crime can cause citizens to lose confidence in democratic institutions and governments. Instability and insecurity have also encouraged some governments to resort to increasingly heavy-handed approaches that suspend rights, further restrict civil society and erode the rule of law, so it is a vicious cycle.
As I mentioned previously, we support the OAS in its efforts to protect and strengthen democracy through electoral observation and the strengthening of electoral processes and through political dialogue, support for media freedom and the protection of human rights online. In addition to funding electoral observation missions, our funding to the OAS supports technical assistance to improve the capacity of member states' national electoral bodies.
We also fund various projects aimed at supporting democracy, including by improving inclusive governance, tackling corruption, enhancing the rule of law and increasing women's political participation in many countries in the region.