Americas This Week: October 19, 2024

October 19, 2024

The Legislative Palace, seat of the national legislature, in Montevideo, Uruguay. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Eduardo Ruggieri (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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

Uruguay Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 27, 2024

Nicolás Saldías, Americas Quarterly (October 18, 2024): Uruguay’s Photo Finish Election

Brazil Local Election Runoffs: October 27, 2024

Brazil held the first round of its local elections on October 6, and while Eduardo Paes, a center-right on-and-off critic of President Lula da Silva, was re-elected mayor of Rio de Janeiro, most of the other major cities will hold runoff elections on October 27. These elections are an important test of the parties ahead of national elections in 2026.

Reuters notes: “Candidates associated with former hard-right President Jair Bolsonaro fared better than those backed by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party won in two state capitals and went to runoff elections in nine cities. But it was parties of the Brazilian ‘Centrao’ – a cluster of center and center-right parties associated with dealmaking politicians such as House Speaker Arthur Lira – that won the most mayoral seats.” 

Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito, Reuters (October 17, 2024): Bolsonaro’s party set on running him for Brazil presidency in 2026

Luisa Leme, AS/COA (October 17, 2024 – podcast): LatAm in Focus: What Do Brazil’s Municipal Elections Say About Polarization in the Region?

Jack Nicas, New York Times (October 16, 2024): Is Elon Musk’s Brazilian Nemesis Saving Democracy or Hurting It?

Marcela Ayres and Bernardo Caram, Reuters (October 14, 2024): Brazil looks to curb spending after local elections, sources say

Bolivia Presidential and Legislative Elections: August 17, 2025

Fernando Molina, El País (October 15, 2024): Supporters of Bolivia’s ex-leader Evo Morales block roads against his arrest in teen abuse case

Suriname General Elections: May 25, 2025

CMC (October 15, 2024): Suriname President Santokhi names date for general election

Past Americas Elections

Venezuela Presidential Election: July 28, 2024

Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux (October 19, 2024): Venezuela bishops demand government come clean about election results

Al Jazeera (October 18, 2024): Venezuela arrests five foreigners over alleged antigovernment activity

International Crisis Group (October 15, 2024): Venezuela: Reversing the Slide into Dictatorship

Elections On Deck

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