Regional organizations have made significant progress in promoting democratic norms. In the Americas, the Inter-American Democratic Charter (IADC), enacted by the Organization of American States (OAS), is a clear manifestation of member states’ formal commitment to defend democratic principles and ideals.

Due to the evolving political-economic landscape, OAS shares the stage with other regional projects such as Mercado Común del Sur with the Rio Group, the Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América (ALBA), the Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR) and the Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños (CELAC). The emergence of regional non-state actors such as the Carter Center, the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the Club of Madrid add to the complexity.

These developments creates challenges for democracy promotion in the Americas. This paper examines the role of OAS and UNASUR in democracy promotion in the Americas, particularly its interventions in the 2008 constitution-drafting process in Bolivia.