The challenge of democracy in Georgia protests and prospects in an authoritarian scenario

Abstract

In 1991, through a declaration, the parliament of the Republic of Georgia declared independence, mainly due to the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union. Subsequently, the country focused on strengthening its ties with the West, joining international organizations and establishing economic and political agreements with Western countries (El Tiempo, 1991). This movement towards the West generated tensions with Russia, which intensified significantly after the 2008 conflicts, especially the South Ossetia war, where Russia intervened militarily in “support” of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.