The roots of Chile’s protests
The increase in the subway fare in Chile triggered nation-wide protests, but the price hike was the last straw in a series of events that have left Chileans burdened and weary in their everyday lives.
After economic policies backfire, Ecuador’s Lenín Moreno struggles to save his presidency… and the country’s democracy?
Last week’s massive protests in Ecuador marked a turning point for Moreno, who now faces his biggest political challenge yet: build consensus to save his presidency and save Ecuador from a return of populist leadership.
El Salvador’s CICIES is a good start, but it’s going to need a lot of work
If president Bukele does not address the issues of legitimacy and autonomy of his OAS-guaranteed graft commission, he risks gambling with the CICIES’ credibility and future.
The fall of Guatemala’s Sandra Torres
Sandra Torres’ arrest comes less than a month after she competed in Guatemala’s presidential run-off election. Her fall reveals what the fight against corruption will look like in a post-CICIG era.
In Guatemala, Giammattei’s presidency is off to a weak start
Conservative Alejandro Giammattei was elected Guatemala’s new president in a second-round vote last Sunday. With minimum support in Congress and low voter turn, his presidency seems to offer more politics as usual, leaving much-needed reform out of the near future to solve Guatemala’s most pressing issues.
In Honduras, new evidence sheds light on the close ties between the National Party and drug trafficking
New evidence has surfaced that former and sitting presidents, Porfirio Lobo and Juan Orlando Hernández may have benefitted from drug trafficking. Their eventual extradition to the U.S. seems like a real possibility. But is the country’s opposition ready to take over?
In Guatemala, a presidential election in disarray
Corruption and an unpopular president have paved the way for a crowded field of mostly unknown presidential hopefuls. After the country’s Constitutional Court ruled against two top contenders, the election shifted from a relatively safe bet to an uncertain race.
In a closer-than-expected race, Laurentino Cortizo wins Panama’s presidency
Panama’s presidential election quickly shifted from a safe bet to a close race. Nito Cortizo will hold the office for the next five years, but because of the narrow results his presidency is off to a weak start.
In Panama, corruption looms over May presidential elections
The corruption-plagued Varela (2014-2019) presidency will likely result in the election of Laurentino Cortizo and the return of the Revolutionary Democratic Party to the Palacio de las Garzas.
In a strong rebuke to traditional parties, Nayib Bukele wins the Salvadoran presidency
Salvadorans voted for a populist maverick as their next president. But low voter turnout and a lack of friends in Congress promise to weaken the mandate of the president-elect.