Autocracy promotion: theoretical framework and comparative analysis. The cases of Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran

The models of autocracy promotion are four: a) Military intervention, through a war. b) Economic blackmail: by applying negative sanctions to pro-West democratizing regimes: trade or investments’ sanctions, and cuts to economic or military aid. c) Rewards: by positive sanctions to authoritarian or hybrid regimes, through diplomatic pressure, military and economic assistance. d) Spontaneous emulation: an authoritarian state is a cultural, economic, political and military model for other non-democratic regimes, that autonomously follow the leader. A rigid autocracy promotion is based on the support of only authoritarian regimes, while in a flexible relation there is the possibility of a ‘B plan’, by promoting hybrid regimes too. Hard power relations are anchored to direct military interventions, while soft power is based on emulation, diplomatic, economic, indirect military inducements and blackmails. The cases under review are: China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba/Venezuela, Egypt, Turkey, Iran.