Violence, repression against political opponents, and armed conflicts were some of the factors that contributed to the nineteenth consecutive year of decline in global freedom, according to a report by the organization Freedom House.
This human rights NGO, based in the United States, published its annual report Freedom in the World 2025 in February, where it classified countries according to their level of freedom.
The study groups nations into three categories: "free, partly free, or not free," based on a rating of political rights and civil liberties.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
Of the 210 countries analyzed in 2024, only 88 were considered free, while 55 fell into the partly free category, and 67 were classified as not free.
According to the report, the nations with the highest level of freedom were Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Norway. Meanwhile, among the countries with least freedom are North Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, South Sudan, and Syria.
In South America
In Latin America, the countries considered free were Uruguay, ranked 17th globally, followed by Chile (21), Argentina (52), Brazil (81), and Colombia (83).
Meanwhile, in the category of partly free nations are Peru (91), Ecuador (93), Bolivia (96), and Paraguay (99).
Venezuela was the only country in the region classified as not free, ranking 179th globally. The organization warned that, during the last 12 years under Nicolás Maduro's regime, "freedoms have precipitously declined."
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
The report also noted that violence by criminal and armed groups continues to affect democratic stability in various nations.
In Haiti, criminal gangs caused the collapse of the state, while in Mexico and Ecuador, organized crime has targeted political figures and interfered in electoral processes.
Additionally, in El Salvador and Honduras, security policies implemented by their governments have raised concerns about their impact on human rights, according to the report.
The document also emphasizes the situation in Venezuela, where Maduro's regime disqualified the main opposition figure, María Corina Machado.
Despite the widespread deterioration, the report highlights progress in countries where citizens have managed to halt the advance of authoritarianism.
"The events that took place in Bangladesh, Senegal, and South Korea over the past year demonstrated, not for the first time, that ordinary citizens have the power to reject authoritarianism, protect free institutions, and hold their leaders accountable," concluded Freedom House.
