Democracy & Elections Archives - Page 51 of 82

The Controversy That Could Swing Ecuador’s Election

A decade ago, Rafael Correa was sworn in as president of Ecuador in the Andean village of Zumbahua. In the presence of fellow “pink tide” socialist presidents Hugo Chávez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, five indigenous priests sprinkled him with sacred herbs and evoked the spirits of the moon and sun to provide him with positive energy. But … Read more

Trailblazing Leaders on How to Make Latin American Politics More Inclusive

What do a Zapotec woman from Mexico, an Afro-descendant advocate from Uruguay, and a gay rights activist from Chile have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out. On March 27, Mexico’s Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza, Uruguay’s Edgardo Ortuño, and Chile’s Jaime Parada Hoyl – three Latin American politicians who have broken glass ceilings in their … Read more

The Real Reason Brazil’s Government Is Struggling

On the surface, they seemed like two unrelated cases of bad luck. Just as Brazil’s economy was showing fragile signs of recovery, a new corruption scandal erupted on March 17 threatening to paralyze the country’s $130 billion beef sector. Days later, the pillar of President Michel Temer’s market-friendly economic agenda, a reform to the social … Read more

Why Piñera Is the Frontrunner to Return as Chile’s President

Eight months before Chileans go to the polls, former President Sebastián Piñera is the frontrunner among a crowded field of candidates. The center-right businessman who was president from 2010 to 2014 leads public opinion polls, and has clearly benefited from the unpopularity of Michelle Bachelet, who preceded him in power – and replaced him when … Read more

Movidas en el poder: Cómo el presidente venezolano está afianzando sus defensas

Read in English Basta con sondear el ánimo de los venezolanos para entender cómo perciben al gobierno del presidente Nicolás Maduro: más anclado al poder que nunca. Y con razón. A pesar de Venezuela está viviendo una de las crisis políticas y económicas más profundas que haya vivido ningún país latinoamericano en la historia reciente—y … Read more

Power Moves: How Venezuela’s Maduro Is Shoring Up His Defenses

Leer en español If the mood on the streets of Caracas is a guide, Venezuelans are increasingly reconciling themselves to an uncomfortable idea: President Nicolás Maduro isn’t going anywhere. Despite Venezuela enduring one of the most profound economic and political crises of any Latin American country in recent memory – and amid yearlong calls for … Read more

Here’s One Reason Trump Has Been Good for Democracy

Make no mistake: President Donald Trump’s policies may end up damaging the United States and bringing instability to the world order. But there is a silver lining. Since democracy is based on a contract between candidates who make promises and voters who believe them, Trump’s willingness to deliver on his campaign platform should be commended … Read more

AMLO’s Strategy? Tone Things Down and Let the President Deal With Trump

This story has been updated As the politician best positioned to ride a wave of nationalist, anti-Trump sentiment to Mexico’s presidency in 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador appears to be embracing an unexpected strategy: moderation. López Obrador, widely known as AMLO, has earned his reputation as one of Mexico’s most polarizing national figures. When he … Read more

Enfrentando a Maduro: el nuevo plan de la oposición venezolana

Read in English ¿Puede un nuevo año y una nueva estrategia ayudar a la coalición opositora venezolana, MUD, a resolver diferencias internas? La oposición Venezolana ha tenido que auto-examinarse. A pesar de un año marcado por protestas masivas y rechazo internacional a las movidas antidemocráticas del presidente Nicolás Maduro, la Mesa de la Unidad Democrática … Read more

Fighting Maduro: The Venezuelan Opposition’s New Plan

Leer en español Venezuela’s opposition has had to do some soul-searching. Despite a year punctuated by massive street protests and international condemnation of President Nicolás Maduro’s anti-democratic turns, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), a coalition of opposition parties, ended 2016 with little to celebrate. Its effort to force a recall referendum on Maduro came to … Read more

Populistas latinoamericanos encantados con Trump

Read in English Al menos un grupo está dándole a la presidencia de Donald Trump una bienvenida favorable. Bien sea porque ven las sombras de su propia visión nacionalista en la agenda de “América Primero” de Trump, o simplemente porque perciben una oportunidad para mejorar los lazos diplomáticos con Washington, figuras populistas de alto rango … Read more

Latin American Populists Loving Trump So Far

Leer en español At least one group is giving Donald Trump’s presidency rave reviews so far: Latin American populists. Whether they see shadows of their own nationalist views in Trump’s “America First” agenda, or merely sense an opportunity for improved diplomatic ties with Washington, high-profile populist figures on both the left and right have taken … Read more

María Eugenia Vidal y la otra Buenos Aires

Read in English En la Buenos Aires que todos conocen, la Buenos Aires de teatros de ópera, bifes de chorizo y “boliches” que ni sueñan con abrir antes de la 1 am, casi es posible olvidarte de que hay recesión. Las parrillas están llenas, los rosedales florecidos y en las grandes avenidas resuenan los icónicos … Read more

Dealing With Trump: Four Strategies for Latin America

Since about 9 p.m. New York time on Nov. 8, when Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania were all bathed in red on TV electoral maps, Latin American politicians and executives have been frantically calling friends and contacts to ask: “How are we going to work with Donald J. Trump?” There’s no foolproof answer, of course, especially … Read more

María Eugenia Vidal and the “Other” Buenos Aires

Leer en español In the Buenos Aires everyone knows, the Buenos Aires of opera houses and bifes de chorizo and nightclubs that don’t dream of opening until 1 a.m., you can almost forget there’s a recession going on. The steakhouses are full, the rose gardens are in bloom, and grand avenues hum with the city’s … Read more