DEMOCRACY AT THE PRECIPICE

We are running out of time. We're witnessing in America today the methodical dismantling of democratic guardrails that have protected our republic for generations. I've seen this pattern before in Cuba, Russia, Venezuela, and Hungary. Everything that's happening is so similar that it is terrifying.

Just Follow The Playbook

While the experts debate and discuss the whatever, and social media goes nuts over the craziness of the day, power is slowly being consolidated. Just check it out:

• Loyalists strategically positioned throughout government institutions

• The weaponization of legal systems against political opponents

• Attacks on independent media and information sources

• The cult of personality-driven political movement over institutional loyalty

• The gradual normalization of anti-democratic rhetoric{

  
  

These aren't isolated incidents. They're chapters from a well-worn playbook that has transformed democracies into autocracies while citizens keep on saying, "that can't happen over here."

We Are Already Late

Let me be brutally honest, it's possible we may have already crossed the line. And the window for effective resistance narrows with each passing day. When I look at where we stand compared to the timeline of democratic collapse in other nations, we are sadly far along the path.

The military and security apparatus, institutions that have historically remained above partisan politics, are very vulnerable today. Changing little by little. Quietly. Once these institutions become extensions of the executive order rather than constitutional loyalty, man, game over.

What Can Still Be Done?

Even though things look bad, maybe there is still a chance of putting pressure, of bringing some resistance through mass mobilization, the kind that is long term. Strategic civil disobedience focused on specific institutions being corrupted.

Trying to maintain and strengthen community-level democratic structures that can withstand pressure from the federal government. Supporting truly independent journalism and creating decentralized information networks. Building alliances. This isn't about left vs. right anymore; it's about those who support constitutional democracy versus those who don't. Finally, we need support from global democratic governments. A totalitarian USA would destabilize the world. 

The Heartbreaking Truth

The sad reality is that many Americans still don't get how bad things are. They assume our institutions are stronger than they are. They believe the pendulum will naturally swing back. They trust that "someone" will step in before things go too far. A superhero? Oh my God, this American mentality!

In every country where democracy has collapsed, there was a final moment when resistance might have succeeded. A moment recognized only in retrospect, after it had passed.

I fear we are living in that moment now, and we must act with the understanding that democracy's collapse isn't something that happens elsewhere to other people. It happens even when good people believe it cannot happen to them. You don´t believe me? Here is a list of actions this administration has taken, only in the last three months, that demonstrate a definite willingness to eradicate democratic values in the old USA:

1. Erosion of Civil Service Protections

In April 2025, President Trump reinstated "Schedule F," reclassifying approximately 50,000 federal employees to positions that strip them of traditional civil service protections. This move facilitates the dismissal of career officials based on perceived disloyalty rather than merit, effectively politicizing the federal workforce and compromising its independence. ​AP News+1opb+1

2. Politicization of the Legal System

The administration has taken unprecedented steps to target law firms engaged in litigation against its policies. Executive orders have been issued to terminate federal contracts with these firms, restrict their access to federal buildings, and limit interactions with federal employees. Such actions represent a direct assault on the independence of the legal profession and the principle of equal justice under the law. ​NPR+2The Free Speech Center+2POLITICO+2

3. Suppression of Independent Media

Efforts to curtail press freedom have intensified, with the administration limiting access for established news agencies like the Associated Press and Reuters to White House events. Additionally, funding cuts to U.S.-funded international broadcasters such as Voice of America jeopardize the safety of journalists operating in authoritarian regimes, undermining global press freedom. ​Homepage+1Reuters+1Foreign Policy

4. Disregard for Judicial Authority

In April 2025, the Supreme Court issued a 7-2 ruling temporarily halting the deportation of Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act. The administration's response, dismissing the surge in litigation as "meritless," reflects a troubling pattern of undermining judicial decisions and due process rights. ​POLITICO  1vox.com+1

5. Consolidation of Executive Power

The administration's actions align with the principles of "Project 2025," a comprehensive plan aimed at expanding executive authority. This includes reclassifying federal employees, exerting control over independent agencies, and diminishing the checks and balances that safeguard democratic governance. ​democracy2025.org+4AP News+4Brennan Center for Justice+4

Please, go check the links and verify by yourself that this has truly happened.

Conclusion:

The time for debates and discussions has passed. Either we recognize the existential threat before us and mobilize accordingly, or we will be having very different conversations in the coming years. Maybe conversations about how and when we lost our republic, and whether anything can be salvaged from its remains. Oh and ah, when you hear yourself say, ´Be careful! Don´t say that! You never know who is listening.´ It is at that moment - when neighbor goes against neighbor - that we will finally realize that it truly has happened. By then, the fear of it all will be too overwhelming. 

I pray I'm wrong. But I've seen this movie before, and I know how it ends unless we change the script, immediately and dramatically.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas