Venezuela returned to rank last on the Rule of Law Index 2026 for the second consecutive year, according to the report published this Wednesday by the World Justice Project (WJP), which evaluated 143 countries. The study warns of a global deterioration in judicial guarantees, civil liberties and mechanisms that limit the exercise of government power.
At the other end of the ranking is Denmark, which retained first place. The United States fell three positions and was in 30th place, amid a decline attributed mainly to the weakening of civil justice.
The overall American score fell 1.8% compared to the previous year. The most pronounced decline occurred in the civil justice indicator, in which it lost 10 positions to rank 47. It also fell four positions in criminal justice, to 41st place, and seven in fundamental rights, where it ranked 49th.
The best result in the United States corresponded to the open government section, which measures access to public information, citizen participation and accountability mechanisms. In that category it reached position 20. In the absence of corruption it occupied position 27.
The weakening of institutional controls threatens democracy in nations
The report reflects that the difficulties in guaranteeing the rule of law extend to much of the world. During the last year, 62% of the countries evaluated registered setbacks, compared to 38% that made progress. The United States, Mexico, Russia and China were among the countries that worsened their results.
He World Justice Project identifies the undue influence of governments on the judicial system and the expansion of the powers of the executive branch as two of the main factors explaining this trend. Added to this are restrictions on freedoms and the weakening of institutional controls.
The organization’s executive director, Alejandro Ponce, warned that the advance of authoritarian practices has been consolidated in different regions and stated that “it is no longer just an emerging trend, but has taken root in many parts of the world.”
The indicators on rights and participation show significant declines. The freedom of opinion and expression worsened in 64% of the countries analyzed; freedom of assembly and association, at 67%, and citizen participation, at 65%.
The situation also affects the functioning of justice systems. The civil justice indicator deteriorated in 64% of the countries and the criminal justice indicator deteriorated in 58%. Likewise, 63% of the States registered a weakening of judicial controls over government actions.
The WJP’s balance points to an international trend in which legal guarantees, judicial independence and public freedoms face increasing difficulties. Venezuela remains in last place in the ranking, while the declines recorded in other nations show that the weakening of the rule of law also affects countries with higher positions in the index.
