Last year was far from uneventful. From Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó assuming the role of interim President, to demonstrations that took over several countries such as Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, the year ends with Latin Americanists wondering how the region will tackle these issues moving forward. As we enter a new year, and decade, here are a few of the region’s pending issues:
Venezuelan humanitarian crisis: Andrés Cañizález said it best, “that 2019 will end with [Nicolás] Maduro still in power uncovers the failure of a set of strategies that were unable to come to fruition, neither inside nor outside Venezuela.” While Guaidó’s ascension to interim President in January of last year ignited Venezuelans and the international community, the fact remains that Maduro is still in power, and the humanitarian crisis is getting worse. With about 4.5 million Venezuelans estimated to have left the country since 2015, and the figure expected to rise to seven million in 2020, the international community and the Venezuelan opposition cannot leave this issue for “later.”
A new wave of elections: In 2020, the region will see three presidential elections in the United States, Guyana and the Dominican Republic, congressional elections in Venezuela and Peru, and municipal elections in Chile. Following major protests in Chile and Venezuela, the constitutional crisis in Peru, and the highly polarized presidential election in the U.S., these electoral exercises will test the strengths of the ruling administrations and the institutions in each of these countries.
Climate change: While COP25 resulted in some good news—like a growing focus on the world’s oceans and their role in regulating climate—the deal reached by the world’s leaders was weak and disappointing given the reinvigorated call to action on climate change. From the Amazon fires that affected Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru to Hurricane Dorian that devastated The Bahamas and resulted in $3.4 billion worth of damage, natural disasters will only get worse if no action is taken.
