Right-leaning candidates advance in several Latin American elections

Polling by Latinobarómetro indicates that a larger share of Latin Americans now identify with the political right than at any time in the last twenty years. The shift follows a period in which several countries were governed by left-leaning administrations.

Conservative victories have occurred in Argentina, Ecuador and El Salvador, with additional right-leaning candidates leading or competitive in upcoming votes.

Election developments In Colombia, presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella advanced to a runoff election scheduled for Sunday. He has proposed military action against criminal groups and large reductions in government programs. ” De la Espriella responded by posting an image pairing U.S. and Colombian flags.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said U.S. drug-trafficking investigations targeting members of her party could be intended to influence Mexico’s 2027 election. The White House has not commented on that statement.

Regional context Argentina’s President Javier Milei and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele have both met with President Trump. Milei has reduced state spending, while Bukele has accepted U.S. deportees into domestic prisons. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has allowed U.S. Special Forces to operate against drug traffickers inside the country.

Chile’s José Antonio Kast has proposed a border wall with Peru and Bolivia. In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro’s son Flávio Bolsonaro is polling even with incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of October’s presidential election. In Peru, Keiko Fujimori leads a vote count that remains incomplete.

The left retains the presidency in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the U.S. endorsement of De la Espriella and called on voters to reject outside influence.