In 2018, two thirds of the nearly 645 million Latin Americans were called upon to set the course for the development of their countries by casting their votes. Elections were held in Brazil and Mexico. While the election of Jair Bolsonaro as the new President of Brazil is interpreted by many as a sign of a severe crisis of democracy, Mexico’s new president Andrés Manuel López Obrador is seen as an important sign of hope. The summer school will discuss current trends in these countries in a comparative fashion. Numerous experts from both countries will support our summer school. Students from Brazil, Mexico and Germany will discuss questions about democracy and its relationship with new and old nationalisms, violence, inequality, poverty, disappointments but also hopes and new political projects for the future.