Upcoming Elections
Guyana Snap Parliamentary – by March 2019
The Economist published an in-depth piece on Guyana’s politics and how the recent oil discovery raises the stakes of the upcoming snap elections.
El Salvador Presidential – March 3, 2019
World Politics Review interviews Latin America expert Eric Olson about El Salvador’s upcoming elections. Corruption is a major issue: “Most public opinion surveys and assessments of corruption and the rule of law in El Salvador suggest it’s a very important political issue for El Salvador’s upcoming presidential election. El Salvador ranks 112th out of 185 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2017, placing it in the bottom third both worldwide and among countries in the Western Hemisphere.”
Canada, Alberta Legislative Assembly – By May 30, 2019
Keith Gerein at the Edmonton Journal makes 19 predictions for Alberta politics and the upcoming elections. Graham Thompson writes at iPolitics: “The provincial election — to be held sometime between March 1 and May 31 — promises to be much more than just a contest between the governing New Democrats and the opposition United Conservative Party. This could very well be a battle that changes the political culture of the province.”
The Alberta polls come ahead of Canada’s federal elections, which need to happen before October 21, 2019. Ian Austen analyzes Premier Justin Trudeau’s prospects for re-election.
Bolivia Presidential and Legislative – October 2019
Washington Post columnist Francisco Toro on Evo Morales’ cynical re-election bid: “As alternation in power between opposing ideologies becomes normal in Latin America for the first time, just a handful of stragglers hang on: Nicaragua and Venezuela, where leftist authoritarianism has done away with democracy altogether, and Bolivia, where democracy is genuinely on a knife-edge.”
Recent Elections
Brazil
Right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro is now officially Brazil’s president. The BBC reports: “Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has used his inaugural speech to promise to build a ‘society without discrimination or division’….He is seen as a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many.”
The Economist has some hopes for his policies, but fears he could do grave harm: “If Mr. Bolsonaro succeeds in reforming the economy and cleaning up Brazil, he could unleash his country’s long-squandered potential. Nothing would give The Economist more pleasure. But to do so he must end his career as a provocateur and become a statesman. He must give up having only a selective respect for the law. “
https://twitter.com/TheEconomist/status/108113843566096384
Catherine Osborn writes in Foreign Policy: “A loose alliance of Catholic and evangelical conservatives helped Brazil’s new president to power. But their continued support is far from certain.”
Brendan O’Boyle at the Americas Quarterly has a who’s who in Brazil’s new government, which The Economist dubs a team of rivals.
Mexico – July 2018
NPR reports that the mayor of a town in Oaxaca was killed hours after taking office. He was a member of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), to which the newly-inaugurated left-wing populist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also belongs: “Holding public office can be particularly dangerous in parts of Mexico. The consulting firm Etellekt says that between September 2017 and August 2018, 175 politicians were killed. That year included campaign season for the July 1 general elections.”
Venezuela Snap Presidential – May 2018
DW reports: “The Lima Group of Latin American countries on Friday urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term he won in elections widely condemned as illegitimate, and cede power until new elections can be held.”
Colombia – May 2018
BBC reports: “Colombia has condemned an alleged plot to assassinate its president, and says three Venezuelans have been arrested in connection with the plan.”
Other Regional News and Views
Nicaragua
The Washington Post reports: “In the past few weeks, President Daniel Ortega’s forces have launched a wave of repression against civil society groups and journalism outlets that is choking off what little remains of democracy in this Central American country. The government recently stripped nine civil society groups of their legal standing and seized their assets. News organizations critical of the Ortega administration have been closed, and some editors have been charged with crimes including conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.”
U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Mrs. Susan Pompeo pose for a photograph with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Brazilian First Lady Michelle de Paula Firmo Reinaldo Bolsonaro, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 1, 2019. Photo credit: U.S. State Department (Public Domain)
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
Americas This Week – January 5, 2019
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Last Updated: January 14, 2019 by 21votes
January 5, 2019
Each day, 21votes gathers election and political news from a different region of the world. We explore the Americas on Saturdays. Click the map pins.
Guyana Snap Parliamentary - by March 2019
The Economist published an in-depth piece on Guyana’s politics and how the recent oil discovery raises the stakes of the upcoming snap elections.
El Salvador Presidential - March 3, 2019
World Politics Review interviews Latin America expert Eric Olson about El Salvador’s upcoming elections. Corruption is a major issue: “Most public opinion surveys and assessments of corruption and the rule of law in El Salvador suggest it’s a very important political issue for El Salvador’s upcoming presidential election. El Salvador ranks 112th out of 185 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2017, placing it in the bottom third both worldwide and among countries in the Western Hemisphere.”
Canada, Alberta Legislative Assembly - By May 30, 2019
Keith Gerein at the Edmonton Journal makes 19 predictions for Alberta politics and the upcoming elections. Graham Thompson writes at iPolitics: “The provincial election — to be held sometime between March 1 and May 31 — promises to be much more than just a contest between the governing New Democrats and the opposition United Conservative Party.
This could very well be a battle that changes the political culture of the province.”
The Alberta polls come ahead of Canada’s federal elections, which need to happen before October 21, 2019. Ian Austen analyzes Premier Justin Trudeau’s prospects for re-election.
Bolivia Presidential and Legislative - October 2019
Washington Post columnist Francisco Toro on Evo Morales’ cynical re-election bid: “As alternation in power between opposing ideologies becomes normal in Latin America for the first time, just a handful of stragglers hang on: Nicaragua and Venezuela, where leftist authoritarianism has done away with democracy altogether, and Bolivia, where democracy is genuinely on a knife-edge.”
Brazil - October 2018
Right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro is now officially Brazil’s president. The BBC reports: “Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has used his inaugural speech to promise to build a ‘society without discrimination or division’….He is seen as a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many.”
The Economist has some hopes for his policies, but fears he could do grave harm: “If Mr. Bolsonaro succeeds in reforming the economy and cleaning up Brazil, he could unleash his country’s long-squandered potential. Nothing would give The Economist more pleasure. But to do so he must end his career as a provocateur and become a statesman. He must give up having only a selective respect for the law. “
Catherine Osborn writes in Foreign Policy: “A loose alliance of Catholic and evangelical conservatives helped Brazil’s new president to power. But their continued support is far from certain.”
Brendan O’Boyle at the Americas Quarterly has a who’s who in Brazil’s new government, which The Economist dubs a team of rivals.
Mexico - July 2018
NPR reports that the mayor of a town in Oaxaca was killed hours after taking office. He was a member of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), to which the newly-inaugurated left-wing populist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also belongs: “Holding public office can be particularly dangerous in parts of Mexico. The consulting firm Etellekt says that between September 2017 and August 2018, 175 politicians were killed. That year included campaign season for the July 1 general elections.”
Venezuela Presidential - May 2018
DW reports: “The Lima Group of Latin American countries on Friday urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term he won in elections widely condemned as illegitimate, and cede power until new elections can be held.”
Colombia - May 2018
BBC reports: “Colombia has condemned an alleged plot to assassinate its president, and says three Venezuelans have been arrested in connection with the plan.”
Nicaragua
The Washington Post reports: “In the past few weeks, President Daniel Ortega’s forces have launched a wave of repression against civil society groups and journalism outlets that is choking off what little remains of democracy in this Central American country. The government recently stripped nine civil society groups of their legal standing and seized their assets. News organizations critical of the Ortega administration have been closed, and some editors have been charged with crimes including conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.”
Upcoming Elections
Guyana Snap Parliamentary – by March 2019
The Economist published an in-depth piece on Guyana’s politics and how the recent oil discovery raises the stakes of the upcoming snap elections.
El Salvador Presidential – March 3, 2019
World Politics Review interviews Latin America expert Eric Olson about El Salvador’s upcoming elections. Corruption is a major issue: “Most public opinion surveys and assessments of corruption and the rule of law in El Salvador suggest it’s a very important political issue for El Salvador’s upcoming presidential election. El Salvador ranks 112th out of 185 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2017, placing it in the bottom third both worldwide and among countries in the Western Hemisphere.”
Canada, Alberta Legislative Assembly – By May 30, 2019
Keith Gerein at the Edmonton Journal makes 19 predictions for Alberta politics and the upcoming elections. Graham Thompson writes at iPolitics: “The provincial election — to be held sometime between March 1 and May 31 — promises to be much more than just a contest between the governing New Democrats and the opposition United Conservative Party. This could very well be a battle that changes the political culture of the province.”
The Alberta polls come ahead of Canada’s federal elections, which need to happen before October 21, 2019. Ian Austen analyzes Premier Justin Trudeau’s prospects for re-election.
Bolivia Presidential and Legislative – October 2019
Washington Post columnist Francisco Toro on Evo Morales’ cynical re-election bid: “As alternation in power between opposing ideologies becomes normal in Latin America for the first time, just a handful of stragglers hang on: Nicaragua and Venezuela, where leftist authoritarianism has done away with democracy altogether, and Bolivia, where democracy is genuinely on a knife-edge.”
Recent Elections
Brazil
Right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro is now officially Brazil’s president. The BBC reports: “Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has used his inaugural speech to promise to build a ‘society without discrimination or division’….He is seen as a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many.”
The Economist has some hopes for his policies, but fears he could do grave harm: “If Mr. Bolsonaro succeeds in reforming the economy and cleaning up Brazil, he could unleash his country’s long-squandered potential. Nothing would give The Economist more pleasure. But to do so he must end his career as a provocateur and become a statesman. He must give up having only a selective respect for the law. “
https://twitter.com/TheEconomist/status/108113843566096384
Catherine Osborn writes in Foreign Policy: “A loose alliance of Catholic and evangelical conservatives helped Brazil’s new president to power. But their continued support is far from certain.”
Brendan O’Boyle at the Americas Quarterly has a who’s who in Brazil’s new government, which The Economist dubs a team of rivals.
Mexico – July 2018
NPR reports that the mayor of a town in Oaxaca was killed hours after taking office. He was a member of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), to which the newly-inaugurated left-wing populist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also belongs: “Holding public office can be particularly dangerous in parts of Mexico. The consulting firm Etellekt says that between September 2017 and August 2018, 175 politicians were killed. That year included campaign season for the July 1 general elections.”
Venezuela Snap Presidential – May 2018
DW reports: “The Lima Group of Latin American countries on Friday urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term he won in elections widely condemned as illegitimate, and cede power until new elections can be held.”
Colombia – May 2018
BBC reports: “Colombia has condemned an alleged plot to assassinate its president, and says three Venezuelans have been arrested in connection with the plan.”
Other Regional News and Views
Nicaragua
The Washington Post reports: “In the past few weeks, President Daniel Ortega’s forces have launched a wave of repression against civil society groups and journalism outlets that is choking off what little remains of democracy in this Central American country. The government recently stripped nine civil society groups of their legal standing and seized their assets. News organizations critical of the Ortega administration have been closed, and some editors have been charged with crimes including conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.”
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
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Category: This Week Tags: Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela