At LADDO, we monitor direct attacks against freedom of expression and democratic institutions. We also monitor anti-democratic movements that already exist and are spreading along the Latin American world, whether they are local or external.

To do so, we employ -among other methodologies- "The Theory of the Canary in the Mine." This theory is named after the miners' practice of bringing canaries into coal mines to detect a lack of oxygen. At the first sign of oxygen deficiency, the birds would suffocate warning the miners to immediately escape the mines.

The analogy is that LADDO wants to detect the signs of alert before it is too late.

We want to detect them even before they and their consequences are obvious and imminent.

We want to identify the lack of oxygen from the beginning, before we are taken into a tunnel without exit as individuals and society is seriously affected.

Under the same dynamics, we believe that in the initial stages of anti-democratic factions at least one of several signs is consistently present. We have selected these four as the most important:

1. Verbal, psychological and media attacks against the values, representatives and defenders of democracy.
2. Physical attacks against individuals, institutions and the economical and cultural patrimony of unprotected minorities.
3. Indiscriminate attacks against the civil population, aptly named "acts of terrorism". These are used both to unhinge democracy and create fear in the public.
4. Moral campaigns for or against the status quo in areas like abortion or homosexuality which are used as social distractions in order to divide the population.