This is a strong statement, and Rodó justifies it by clarifying that because democratic societies give power to the masses, whom he deems less capable of making good decisions; but he is not against democracy but rather shows many ways in which its weak points can be strengthened, pointing for instance at the importance of the most capable educating the rest of society to pull the average upwards instead of letting the trend be the opposite.
Rodó argues that democratic societies are flawed because they empower the masses, who he believes lack the capacity for sound decision-making. However, he doesn't oppose democracy but rather proposes ways to strengthen its weaknesses, such as educating the most capable individuals to uplift the average citizen and counteract the trend of societal decline.