February 11, 2023
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in the Americas, usually posted on Saturdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Calle Palma in Asuncion, Paraguay. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Bruno Arriola (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Upcoming Americas Elections
Paraguay Presidential, Legislative, and Gubernatorial Elections: April 30, 2023
Paraguay’s election could result in yet another country switching its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the PRC. Incumbent president Mario Abdo from the conservative Colorado Party is ineligible to run for another term. Opposition candidate Efrain Alegre from the liberal PRLA has said that if he wins, he’ll recognize Beijing, while Colorado’s candidate, Santiago Pena, has said he will maintain relations with Taiwan.
Colorado has been in power most of the time since the 1950s.
Paraguay returned to democracy in 1989, following the collapse of the 35-year dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner, but a number of issues remain. These elections took place in the context of political violence and attacks on candidates. As a result, it is rated Partly Free by Freedom House.
Reuters (February 8, 2023): Paraguay president to visit Taiwan ahead of election that could end ties
Chile Constitutional Council Elections: May 7, 2023 Constitutional Referendum: November/December (expected)
Following protests starting in 2019, an elected group of Chileans drafted a new constitution in 2022. The group produced one of the world’s most left-wing proposed constitutions in the world, but voters rejected it by a large margin.
Subsequently, lawmakers agreed to restart the process. Therefore, Chile will hold elections for a new constituent assembly in April or May, with a referendum on the draft constitution that body produces expected in November or December.
Meanwhile, Chile’s left-wing president, Gabriel Boric, who took office in March 2022, has an approval rating of only 25 percent.
Eduardo Thomson and Valentina Fuentes, Bloomberg (February 7, 2023): Chilean Parties Split Over Candidates for Constitutional Rewrite
Argentina Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 22, 2023
Scott Squires, Bloomberg (February 10, 2023): Argentina Is Buckling Under Strain of $174 Billion Debt Mountain
Buenos Aires Times (February 8, 2023): Elisa ‘Lilita’ Carrió preaches ‘unity’ as she confirms presidential run
Buenos Aires Herald (February 6, 2023): Alberto Fernández doesn’t rule out competing for re-election in 2023 primaries
Colombia Regional Elections: October 29, 2023
Jon Orbach, AS/COA (February 9, 2023): Five Figures that Sum Up Gustavo Petro’s First Six Months
Venezuela Presidential Election: Due in 2024
Reuters (February 9, 2023): Voter apathy is hurdle for Venezuelan opposition as it seeks to unseat Maduro
Ezra Fieser and Andreina Itriago Acosta, Bloomberg (February 9, 2023): How Maduro Beat Guaidó and the US in Venezuela’s Long Standoff
Canada Federal Elections: Due by October 2025 – snap elections possible (various provincial and local elections due between now and then)
Vjosa Isai, New York Times (February 10, 2023): Toronto Mayor Resigns After Admitting to Relationship With Employee
CBC News (February 10, 2023): Toronto Mayor John Tory is resigning. So what happens now? Be ready for a byelection to elect a new mayor, Toronto
Bryan Passifiume, National Post (February 9, 2023): Intelligence officials grilled over foreign meddling in Canadian elections
Haiti General Elections: Long overdue, could happen in 2023 but don’t hold your breath
AFP (February 10, 2023): Haiti needs international force to end ‘living nightmare’: UN rights chief
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald (February 8, 2023): US is training Haiti police to combat gangs, but that’s not only security worry
Evens Sanon, AP (February 6, 2023): Haiti appoints council amid push to hold general elections
Past Americas Elections
Ecuador Regional and Local Elections: February 5, 2023
Ecuador held local and regional elections on February 5, as well as a referendum on constitutional amendments backed by President Guillermo Lasso. Lasso, who is center-right, was elected in a close runoff in 2021 in one of the handful of Latin American elections that resisted the “pink tide.” He is up for re-election in 2025.
The elections dealt a blow to Lasso, with the leftist opposition winning most major cities, including the port of Guayaquil, the country’s biggest city, which the right had controlled since the 90s.
CBS/AFP (February 7, 2023): Town elects man mayor day after he’s assassinated amid violent crime wave in Ecuador
Joe Parkin Daniels, Financial Times (February 7, 2023): Referendum gamble backfires for Ecuador’s centre-right leader
Reuters (February 6, 2023): Ecuador’s Lasso accepts extradition referendum defeat; opposition wins mayoral races
Brazil General Elections: October 2, 2022
Reuters (February 8, 2023): Analysis: Brazil central bank autonomy becomes political punching bag for Lula
Gabriel Cohen, Americas Quarterly (February 7, 2023): Lula’s Tightrope-Balancing Act
AFP (February 6, 2023): Unpacking Bolsonaro’s move to small Florida town
Mary Anastasia O’Grady, Wall Street Journal (February 5, 2023): Lula’s D.C. Visit Could Get Awkward: He’s a utopian socialist, not the democratic champion of Biden’s imagination
Nicaragua General Elections: November 7, 2021
AFP (February 11, 2023): US Calls For ‘Dialogue’ In Rare Direct Contact With Nicaragua Govt
Oriana Zill de Granados and Emily Gordon, CBS News (February 9, 2023): 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners released after negotiations with United States
Peru General Elections: April 11, 2021 (early elections could be set for April or December 2024)
Kyle Rose, Foreign Brief (February 10, 2023): Deadline for Peru to set elections to expire
Yael Sternberg, GZERO (February 8, 2023): Chaos is the only winner in Peru
Joe Parkin Daniels and Harry Dempsey, Financial Times (February 8, 2023): Peru unrest threatens copper supply: Analysts expect disruption to world’s second-largest producer to boost prices of the metal
Joshua Goodman, AP (February 5, 2023): Turmoil risks financial stability Peru long took for granted
Americas Elections Coming Up in 2023
Ecuador Regional and Local Elections: February 5, 2023
Jamaica Local Elections: February 2023 (long overdue – date still not set)
Guyana Local Elections: March 13, 2023
Argentina, Gubernatorial Elections in Corrientes and Neuquen: March 26, 2023
Paraguay Presidential, Legislative, and Gubernatorial Elections: April 30, 2023
Chile Constitutional Council Elections: May 7, 2023
Canada, Alberta Provincial Elections: May 29, 2023
British Virgin Islands Assembly Election: May 2023 (due)
Mexico, Some Gubernatorial Elections: June 4, 2023
Guatemala General Elections: June 25, 2023
Argentina Presidential Primary: August 13, 2023
Guatemala General Election Runoffs: August 27, 2023
Canada, Prince Edward Island Provincial Elections: October 2, 2023
Canada, Manitoba Provincial Elections and Northwest Territories Territorial Elections: October 3, 2023
Argentina Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 22, 2023
Colombia Regional Elections: October 29, 2023
Argentina Presidential Runoff: November 19, 2023
Dominica Indirect Presidential Election (by parliament): October 2023 (due)
Chile Constitutional Referendum: November/December 2023 (expected)
Trinidad and Tobago Local Elections: December 20, 2023
Haiti Presidential and Legislative Elections: Long overdue, but could happen in 2023 (delayed from November 7, 2021, no new date set)
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Americas This Week: February 11, 2023
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Last Updated: February 20, 2023 by 21votes
February 11, 2023
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in the Americas, usually posted on Saturdays and occasionally updated throughout the week.
Upcoming Americas Elections
Paraguay Presidential, Legislative, and Gubernatorial Elections: April 30, 2023
Paraguay’s election could result in yet another country switching its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the PRC. Incumbent president Mario Abdo from the conservative Colorado Party is ineligible to run for another term. Opposition candidate Efrain Alegre from the liberal PRLA has said that if he wins, he’ll recognize Beijing, while Colorado’s candidate, Santiago Pena, has said he will maintain relations with Taiwan.
Colorado has been in power most of the time since the 1950s.
Paraguay returned to democracy in 1989, following the collapse of the 35-year dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner, but a number of issues remain. These elections took place in the context of political violence and attacks on candidates. As a result, it is rated Partly Free by Freedom House.
Reuters (February 8, 2023): Paraguay president to visit Taiwan ahead of election that could end ties
Chile Constitutional Council Elections: May 7, 2023 Constitutional Referendum: November/December (expected)
Following protests starting in 2019, an elected group of Chileans drafted a new constitution in 2022. The group produced one of the world’s most left-wing proposed constitutions in the world, but voters rejected it by a large margin.
Subsequently, lawmakers agreed to restart the process. Therefore, Chile will hold elections for a new constituent assembly in April or May, with a referendum on the draft constitution that body produces expected in November or December.
Meanwhile, Chile’s left-wing president, Gabriel Boric, who took office in March 2022, has an approval rating of only 25 percent.
Eduardo Thomson and Valentina Fuentes, Bloomberg (February 7, 2023): Chilean Parties Split Over Candidates for Constitutional Rewrite
Argentina Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 22, 2023
Scott Squires, Bloomberg (February 10, 2023): Argentina Is Buckling Under Strain of $174 Billion Debt Mountain
Buenos Aires Times (February 8, 2023): Elisa ‘Lilita’ Carrió preaches ‘unity’ as she confirms presidential run
Buenos Aires Herald (February 6, 2023): Alberto Fernández doesn’t rule out competing for re-election in 2023 primaries
Colombia Regional Elections: October 29, 2023
Jon Orbach, AS/COA (February 9, 2023): Five Figures that Sum Up Gustavo Petro’s First Six Months
Venezuela Presidential Election: Due in 2024
Reuters (February 9, 2023): Voter apathy is hurdle for Venezuelan opposition as it seeks to unseat Maduro
Ezra Fieser and Andreina Itriago Acosta, Bloomberg (February 9, 2023): How Maduro Beat Guaidó and the US in Venezuela’s Long Standoff
Canada Federal Elections: Due by October 2025 – snap elections possible (various provincial and local elections due between now and then)
Vjosa Isai, New York Times (February 10, 2023): Toronto Mayor Resigns After Admitting to Relationship With Employee
CBC News (February 10, 2023): Toronto Mayor John Tory is resigning. So what happens now? Be ready for a byelection to elect a new mayor, Toronto
Bryan Passifiume, National Post (February 9, 2023): Intelligence officials grilled over foreign meddling in Canadian elections
Haiti General Elections: Long overdue, could happen in 2023 but don’t hold your breath
AFP (February 10, 2023): Haiti needs international force to end ‘living nightmare’: UN rights chief
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald (February 8, 2023): US is training Haiti police to combat gangs, but that’s not only security worry
Evens Sanon, AP (February 6, 2023): Haiti appoints council amid push to hold general elections
Past Americas Elections
Ecuador Regional and Local Elections: February 5, 2023
Ecuador held local and regional elections on February 5, as well as a referendum on constitutional amendments backed by President Guillermo Lasso. Lasso, who is center-right, was elected in a close runoff in 2021 in one of the handful of Latin American elections that resisted the “pink tide.” He is up for re-election in 2025.
The elections dealt a blow to Lasso, with the leftist opposition winning most major cities, including the port of Guayaquil, the country’s biggest city, which the right had controlled since the 90s.
CBS/AFP (February 7, 2023): Town elects man mayor day after he’s assassinated amid violent crime wave in Ecuador
Joe Parkin Daniels, Financial Times (February 7, 2023): Referendum gamble backfires for Ecuador’s centre-right leader
Reuters (February 6, 2023): Ecuador’s Lasso accepts extradition referendum defeat; opposition wins mayoral races
Brazil General Elections: October 2, 2022
Reuters (February 8, 2023): Analysis: Brazil central bank autonomy becomes political punching bag for Lula
Gabriel Cohen, Americas Quarterly (February 7, 2023): Lula’s Tightrope-Balancing Act
AFP (February 6, 2023): Unpacking Bolsonaro’s move to small Florida town
Mary Anastasia O’Grady, Wall Street Journal (February 5, 2023): Lula’s D.C. Visit Could Get Awkward: He’s a utopian socialist, not the democratic champion of Biden’s imagination
Nicaragua General Elections: November 7, 2021
AFP (February 11, 2023): US Calls For ‘Dialogue’ In Rare Direct Contact With Nicaragua Govt
Oriana Zill de Granados and Emily Gordon, CBS News (February 9, 2023): 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners released after negotiations with United States
Peru General Elections: April 11, 2021 (early elections could be set for April or December 2024)
Kyle Rose, Foreign Brief (February 10, 2023): Deadline for Peru to set elections to expire
Yael Sternberg, GZERO (February 8, 2023): Chaos is the only winner in Peru
Joe Parkin Daniels and Harry Dempsey, Financial Times (February 8, 2023): Peru unrest threatens copper supply: Analysts expect disruption to world’s second-largest producer to boost prices of the metal
Joshua Goodman, AP (February 5, 2023): Turmoil risks financial stability Peru long took for granted
Americas Elections Coming Up in 2023
Ecuador Regional and Local Elections: February 5, 2023
Jamaica Local Elections: February 2023 (long overdue – date still not set)
Guyana Local Elections: March 13, 2023
Argentina, Gubernatorial Elections in Corrientes and Neuquen: March 26, 2023
Paraguay Presidential, Legislative, and Gubernatorial Elections: April 30, 2023
Chile Constitutional Council Elections: May 7, 2023
Canada, Alberta Provincial Elections: May 29, 2023
British Virgin Islands Assembly Election: May 2023 (due)
Mexico, Some Gubernatorial Elections: June 4, 2023
Guatemala General Elections: June 25, 2023
Argentina Presidential Primary: August 13, 2023
Guatemala General Election Runoffs: August 27, 2023
Canada, Prince Edward Island Provincial Elections: October 2, 2023
Canada, Manitoba Provincial Elections and Northwest Territories Territorial Elections: October 3, 2023
Argentina Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 22, 2023
Colombia Regional Elections: October 29, 2023
Argentina Presidential Runoff: November 19, 2023
Dominica Indirect Presidential Election (by parliament): October 2023 (due)
Chile Constitutional Referendum: November/December 2023 (expected)
Trinidad and Tobago Local Elections: December 20, 2023
Haiti Presidential and Legislative Elections: Long overdue, but could happen in 2023 (delayed from November 7, 2021, no new date set)
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Category: This Week Tags: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela