Democracy & Elections Archives - Americas Quarterly

AQ Podcast | Colombia’s High-Stakes Election

Sergio Guzmán on Colombia’s surge in violence and the upcoming May 31 presidential election.

Voters enter a polling station during the second day of voting in Lima on April 13, 2026.

Peru’s Chaotic Election — and Some Reasons for Hope

While the country’s politics remain in poor shape, the June 7 runoff offers a new opportunity to rethink the future.

Colombian presidential candidate Iván Cepeda in Bogotá on March 8

In Colombia’s Election, Two Conservatives Fight to Face Cepeda

The race between De La Espriella and Valencia will likely define a potential presidential runoff.

Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodríguez at Miraflores Palace in Caracas in April.

Normalization Without Transition: Delcy Rodríguez’s Playbook

Venezuela’s greatest risk is not the absence of a political transition, but the simulation of one, an expert writes.

AQ Podcast | Peru Election: The End of Stability?

Former Finance Minister Luis Miguel Castilla on Peru’s contested vote, and whether the country’s economic resilience can survive it.

Voters wait at a Lima polling station on Monday, April 13, after logistical problems led Peru's elections authorities to extend voting to a second day.

A New Test for Peru’s Economic Resilience

A runoff between Fujimori and Sánchez, if confirmed, will put the country’s famous macroeconomic stability at risk, a former finance minister writes.

Jair Bolsonaro, left, and his son Flávio address supporters at a rally in Rio de Janeiro in March 2025.

The Voters Flávio Bolsonaro Still Needs

To succeed in October’s election, the son of Brazil’s last president will have to convince those outside the conservative movement.

An election worker assists a voter in Chiguata, Peru, on April 12.

REACTION: Peru Braces for a Polarizing Fujimori-Sánchez Runoff

Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez appear headed to a high-stakes runoff on June 7 after the first-round vote indicated critical new dynamics.

A motorcyclist drives by houses destroyed by armed gangs in 2024 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in March 2026

Can the Donroe Doctrine Help Deliver Stability in Haiti?

Getting it right in Haiti is good policy and politics for the Trump administration.

A woman walks near the Punta Cardón oil refinery in Falcón state, Venezuela, in January.

Venezuela’s Economy Is Accelerating, But Will Depend on More Than Oil

Pending reforms will determine whether momentum is sustainable under interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

Guatemala's President Bernardo Arévalo speaks before Congress in Guatemala City on Jan 14.

In Arévalo’s Guatemala, It’s Not “Spring” Quite Yet

The center-left president’s approval has fallen to 35% amid disappointment with public security and infrastructure.

AQ Podcast | Understanding Delcy Rodríguez

Juan Forero, South America Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal, on whether Delcy Rodríguez is managing a real change in Venezuela or just buying time.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks in Bogotá on March 8.

The Resurgence of Gustavo Petro and the Colombian Left

Colombia’s president has seen his popularity rise, increasing the odds that the left could win May’s presidential election.

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Corina Machado, at a meeting with the Venezuelan community in Santiago, Chile, on March 12, 2026.

How Can Venezuela’s Opposition Regain Momentum?

Political organizations plan to reactivate the Democratic Unitary Platform. However, the most delicate challenge may be Machado’s return.

President-elect of Chile José Antonio Kast speaks during a walk around El Salvador’s CECOT mega prison on January 30.

The Question Facing José Antonio Kast

Chile’s new president may govern as a moderate, but there are risks of a more radical approach.