Why Latin America’s New Right Will Struggle to Govern
Key takeaways
- President Donald Trump, and with his victory on Sunday, Colombia now joins Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, and quite likely Peru in a growing Trump-adjacent political wave in the region.
- But these leaders will eventually leave office, either through term limits or defeat at the ballot box.
- Such a close-run, right-turning race is not unique to Colombia and “El Tigre,” as he likes to refer to himself.
Colombia’s June 21 second-round presidential election between leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, of the incumbent Historic Pact party, and right-wing businessman Abelardo de la Espriella, of his own Defenders of the Homeland movement, fit into the pattern of recent elections in South America.
Following de la Espriella’s endorsement by U.S. President Donald Trump, and with his victory on Sunday, Colombia now joins Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, and quite likely Peru in a growing Trump-adjacent political wave in the region.
Colombia’s June 21 second-round presidential election between leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, of the incumbent Historic Pact party, and right-wing businessman Abelardo de la Espriella, of his own Defenders of the Homeland movement, fit into the pattern of recent elections in South America.