Observing Democracy in Action
A nine-to-five desk job doesn’t hold any appeal for Patricio
Gajardo (BA, International Relations and Latin American Studies, ’91).
His work in international electoral systems, which has taken him
to nearly every country in the Americas, keeps him very active.
He has observed 45 elections in 17 countries and “helped
develop and strengthen projects on civil society, rule of law,
and governance across the continent,” he says.
He most recently worked on the 2006 elections in Nicaragua, which
were highly scrutinized internationally. In Nicaragua, Gajardo
served 10 months as the deputy chief of mission for the election
observation process for the Organization of American States. The
OAS represents the nations of the Western Hemisphere (with the
exception of Cuba).
Gajardo observed Nicaraguan regional elections and the presidential
and congressional elections. He functioned as an international
and impartial observer. Observers make sure an election is free,
fair, and transparent, and point out any irregularities that could
have compromised the election. They meet with leaders of political
parties, candidates, government officials, and voters. In Nicaragua,
more than 180 international observers were deployed throughout
the country.
The Nicaraguan observation process was particularly interesting,
notes Gajardo, because the United States has a long history of
involvement in Nicaragua, and there was a good chance the former
leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, Daniel Ortega,
would win the presidency. The United States during the Reagan years
had funded the Contra’s “democratic resistance” to
Ortega’s Sandinista government. Between 1980 and 1989, more
than 30,000 Nicaraguans died in the conflict between the Sandinista
government and the Contras.
The 2006 presidential election generated strong international interest
and concern that the United States would try to influence the results.
U.S. officials openly opposed Ortega’s candidacy. The OAS “was
to take care of the political process objectively and publicly
criticize any signs of any country meddling in the local affairs
of Nicaragua,” says Gajardo. “The final conclusion
was that Nicaragua had a free and fair electoral process.” Ortega
won the election.
In spite of the potential for controversy surrounding the election,
Gajardo says, “the Nicaraguan people and institutions I worked
with were extremely supportive of the work I performed under the
OAS. I learned to understand the cultural and political process
of the second poorest nation in the hemisphere.”
Gajardo’s interest in international politics began when he
came to Chico from Chile, then under the Pinochet dictatorship.
He was astounded by the experience. “There was so much information
I did not know because of the repression that existed in Chile
during the ’70s and ’80s,” he says. “I
had the opportunity to come to CSU, Chico, go to class in peace,
and do endless research at the library searching for information
on the Chilean past (my own past and my new reality) that was not
available in my country.” The time was particularly ripe
for study, says Gajardo. He absorbed the news of the fall of the
Berlin Wall, the first Palestine Intifada, the South African anti-apartheid
movement, the Iran-Contra Affair, and the defeat of the Sandinistas
in Nicaragua.
After his graduation from CSU, Chico, Gajardo spent 13 years getting
real-world experience in the field while working for the International
Foundation for Election Systems in Washington, D.C. During this
time, he held nearly every position in the Americas Division and
developed his expertise in electoral systems.
In March 2005, Gajardo became an independent consultant in international
elections. Since then, he has worked on various projects in Latin
America and Mexico. Gajardo returned to Washington, D.C, in January.
He can’t say where international consulting will take him
next. For now, he says, “I am searching for new and exciting
possibilities in the democratization field all over the world.”
Anna Harris, Public Affairs and Publications
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