De La Espriella Win in Colombia Cements Latin America’s Rightward Shift
De La Espriella won by less than 1% and faces a divided Congress as he pledges tougher security and pro-business reforms.
- On Monday, Colombia elected nationalist lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella as president, marking a rightward shift for the nation. De La Espriella narrowly won by less than 1% and must govern with a divided Congress.
- Colombia and Peru now join Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Panama in moving right, reversing the region's 'pink tide' that brought leftist governments to power. Weak economies and rising crime have reshaped voter priorities across Latin America.
- A vocal supporter of Trump and naturalized U.S. citizen from Miami, De La Espriella vowed to join the Shield of the Americas and crack down on drug traffickers while easing business regulations and reviving oil and gas projects.
- With a divided Congress, De La Espriella faces a difficult test as rival Ivan Cepeda and the Historic Pact party hold the most seats. Steven Levitsky, Harvard professor of Latin American Studies, cautioned that "if he tries to be more radical then he can get into some trouble."
- "This is an unusual alignment of the stars for Trump," Levitsky said, noting that Latin American governments are ideologically convergent following U.S. strikes killing more than 150 people and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The right-wing hardliner Abelardo de la Espriella owes his thin victory in the presidential election not least Donald Trump. Is he now converting Colombia into an autocracy?
The ultra-right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella has just won the final election in Colombia. He follows the left hand side of Gustavo Petro. A comment.
Right-wing populist wins Colombia presidential runoff
Colombian right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella won the country’s presidential run-off, marking the latest sign of Latin America’s drift to the right. Colombia joins Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, and Perú, where voters have increasingly favoured conservative leaders in the face of rising crime and slowing economic growth. Some on the left have criticized the role Washington has played in electing right-wing leaders, as th…
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