Upcoming Elections
In addition to the elections below, we’re watching: El Salvador (presidential, February 3); Panama (general, May 5); Argentina (general, October 17); and Uruguay (general, October), as well as provincial legislative elections in Alberta (on or before May 30) and Prince Edward Island (on or before October 7) in Canada.
Guyana Snap Parliamentary – Spring 2019
The Associated Press reports: “Guyana’s two main political leaders met Wednesday for the first time since the opposition approved a no-confidence motion last month and assured people that the South American country will abide by its constitution and call fresh elections soon. The announcement is expected to appease investors as Guyana prepares to become what experts believe could be Latin America’s second-biggest oil producer within the next decade.”
Guatemala General – June 16, 2019
Guatemala is in the midst of a political and constitutional crisis stemming from the government’s attempt to block the work of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, a UN-backed commission that has legal authority in Guatemala, that is investigating the president.
The Los Angeles Times notes: “The last time a Guatemalan president tried to cut off a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission that was investigating him, the United States quickly intervened. But this week, when current President Jimmy Morales abruptly expelled the commission while it was in the middle of investigating him for illicit campaign financing, the Trump administration wavered.”
The Economist notes: “Guatemala’s constitutional crisis raises the stakes in the forthcoming election. Many of the president’s critics hope that Thelma Aldana, who as attorney-general from 2014 to 2018 co-operated closely with CICIG, will enter the race with a campaign based on supporting CICIG and the rule of law. Guatemalans are fed up with corruption. Some 70% express confidence in CICIG.”
Hundreds protested Morales in Guatemala City.
Canada Federal – October 2019
iPolitics reports: “The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 5-2 that all expatriate Canadian citizens, no matter how long they have lived outside the country, have the right to vote in federal elections.”
Bolivia General – October 2019
Bolivia’s left-wing populist president Evo Morales got into a Twitter spat with newly-elected Brazilian congressman Rodrigo Amorim, a member of the right-wing populist Social Liberal party of newly-inaugurated president Jair Bolsonaro. However, Morales avoided attacking Bolsonaro directly, fearful that his ire could hurt Morales’ own political prospects. Morales attended the inaugurations of both Bolsonaro and Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s leftist leader whose election was widely seen as a sham.
London School of Economics professor Jean-Paul Faguet looks at Bolivia’s political disintegration as a cautionary tale for more established democracies.
Recent Elections
Brazil Presidential – October 2018
Shannon Sims discusses the priorities of Brazil’s newly-inaugurated populist president Jair Bolsonaro in The Atlantic: “Land rights, education, the economy, and public security lie at the nexus of the Brazilian president’s priorities and critics’ concerns.”
Venezuela – May 2018
Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated for a second term as president in a ceremony boycotted by many world leaders. His election was widely viewed as a sham, and dozens of countries have declined to recognize his government.
The New York Times has an in-depth piece on how Maduro secured re-election despite the fact that “In the years since Mr. Maduro first took office, violence and hunger have become emblematic, inflation has skyrocketed, and the migration of Venezuelans out of the country has reached unprecedented levels.“
The Miami Herald reports: “The president of Venezuela’s National Assembly – a man some argue is the rightful president of the country – was briefly detained Sunday in a confusing series of events that the government suggested was part of a ‘media spectacle’ designed to undermine the socialist administration. Juan Guaidó was on his way to a political rally Sunday when his car was stopped on the highway by masked security forces of the SEBIN political police who bundled him into a nearby vehicle. But within hours he had been released and was addressing a crowd of supporters on the outskirts of Caracas.”
Guillermo Zubillaga, head of the Amercicas Society’s Venezuela Working Group, wrote in in-depth profile on Guidó, a 35-year old who assumed leadership of the National Assembly in early January. Some think his youth gives him an advantage in challenging Maduro.
Maduro and Putin. Thunder buddies for life. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Kremlin
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
Americas This Week – January 11, 2019
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Last Updated: January 29, 2019 by 21votes
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 April 2019
The Associated Press reports: “Guyana’s two main political leaders met Wednesday for the first time since the opposition approved a no-confidence motion last month and assured people that the South American country will abide by its constitution and call fresh elections soon. The announcement is expected to appease investors as Guyana prepares to become what experts believe could be Latin America’s second-biggest oil producer within the next decade.”
Guatemala General - June 16, 2019
Guatemala is in the midst of a political and constitutional crisis stemming from the government’s attempt to block the work of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, a UN-backed commission that has legal authority in Guatemala, that is investigating the president.
The Los Angeles Times notes: “The last time a Guatemalan president tried to cut off a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission that was investigating him, the United States quickly intervened. But this week, when current President Jimmy Morales abruptly expelled the commission while it was in the middle of investigating him for illicit campaign financing, the Trump administration wavered.”
The Economist notes: “Guatemala’s constitutional crisis raises the stakes in the forthcoming election. Many of the president’s critics hope that Thelma Aldana, who as attorney-general from 2014 to 2018 co-operated closely with CICIG, will enter the race with a campaign based on supporting CICIG and the rule of law. Guatemalans are fed up with corruption. Some 70% express confidence in CICIG.”
Hundreds protested Morales in Guatemala City.
Canada Federal - October 2019
iPolitics reports: “The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 5-2 that all expatriate Canadian citizens, no matter how long they have lived outside the country, have the right to vote in federal elections.”
Bolivia General - October 2019
Bolivia’s left-wing populist president Evo Morales got into a Twitter spat with newly-elected Brazilian congressman Rodrigo Amorim, a member of the right-wing populist Social Liberal party of newly-inaugurated president Jair Bolsonaro. However, Morales avoided attacking Bolsonaro directly, fearful that his ire could hurt Morales’ own political prospects. Morales attended the inaugurations of both Bolsonaro and Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s leftist leader whose election was widely seen as a sham.
London School of Economics professor Jean-Paul Faguet looks at Bolivia’s political disintegration as a cautionary tale for more established democracies.
Brazil Presidential - October 2018
Shannon Sims discusses the priorities of Brazil’s newly-inaugurated populist president Jair Bolsonaro in The Atlantic: “Land rights, education, the economy, and public security lie at the nexus of the Brazilian president’s priorities and critics’ concerns.”
Venezuela - May 2018
Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated for a second term as president in a ceremony boycotted by many world leaders. His election was widely viewed as a sham, and dozens of countries have declined to recognize his government.
The New York Times has an in-depth piece on how Maduro secured re-election despite the fact that “In the years since Mr. Maduro first took office, violence and hunger have become emblematic, inflation has skyrocketed, and the migration of Venezuelans out of the country has reached unprecedented levels.“
The Miami Herald reports: “The president of Venezuela’s National Assembly – a man some argue is the rightful president of the country – was briefly detained Sunday in a confusing series of events that the government suggested was part of a ‘media spectacle’ designed to undermine the socialist administration. Juan Guaidó was on his way to a political rally Sunday when his car was stopped on the highway by masked security forces of the SEBIN political police who bundled him into a nearby vehicle. But within hours he had been released and was addressing a crowd of supporters on the outskirts of Caracas.”
https://twitter.com/jguaido/status/1084507642834419712
Guillermo Zubillaga, head of the Amercicas Society’s Venezuela Working Group, wrote in in-depth profile on Guidó, a 35-year old who assumed leadership of the National Assembly in early January. Some think his youth gives him an advantage in challenging Maduro.
Upcoming Elections
In addition to the elections below, we’re watching: El Salvador (presidential, February 3); Panama (general, May 5); Argentina (general, October 17); and Uruguay (general, October), as well as provincial legislative elections in Alberta (on or before May 30) and Prince Edward Island (on or before October 7) in Canada.
Guyana Snap Parliamentary – Spring 2019
The Associated Press reports: “Guyana’s two main political leaders met Wednesday for the first time since the opposition approved a no-confidence motion last month and assured people that the South American country will abide by its constitution and call fresh elections soon. The announcement is expected to appease investors as Guyana prepares to become what experts believe could be Latin America’s second-biggest oil producer within the next decade.”
Guatemala General – June 16, 2019
Guatemala is in the midst of a political and constitutional crisis stemming from the government’s attempt to block the work of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, a UN-backed commission that has legal authority in Guatemala, that is investigating the president.
The Los Angeles Times notes: “The last time a Guatemalan president tried to cut off a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission that was investigating him, the United States quickly intervened. But this week, when current President Jimmy Morales abruptly expelled the commission while it was in the middle of investigating him for illicit campaign financing, the Trump administration wavered.”
The Economist notes: “Guatemala’s constitutional crisis raises the stakes in the forthcoming election. Many of the president’s critics hope that Thelma Aldana, who as attorney-general from 2014 to 2018 co-operated closely with CICIG, will enter the race with a campaign based on supporting CICIG and the rule of law. Guatemalans are fed up with corruption. Some 70% express confidence in CICIG.”
Hundreds protested Morales in Guatemala City.
Canada Federal – October 2019
iPolitics reports: “The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 5-2 that all expatriate Canadian citizens, no matter how long they have lived outside the country, have the right to vote in federal elections.”
Bolivia General – October 2019
Bolivia’s left-wing populist president Evo Morales got into a Twitter spat with newly-elected Brazilian congressman Rodrigo Amorim, a member of the right-wing populist Social Liberal party of newly-inaugurated president Jair Bolsonaro. However, Morales avoided attacking Bolsonaro directly, fearful that his ire could hurt Morales’ own political prospects. Morales attended the inaugurations of both Bolsonaro and Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s leftist leader whose election was widely seen as a sham.
London School of Economics professor Jean-Paul Faguet looks at Bolivia’s political disintegration as a cautionary tale for more established democracies.
Recent Elections
Brazil Presidential – October 2018
Shannon Sims discusses the priorities of Brazil’s newly-inaugurated populist president Jair Bolsonaro in The Atlantic: “Land rights, education, the economy, and public security lie at the nexus of the Brazilian president’s priorities and critics’ concerns.”
Venezuela – May 2018
Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated for a second term as president in a ceremony boycotted by many world leaders. His election was widely viewed as a sham, and dozens of countries have declined to recognize his government.
The New York Times has an in-depth piece on how Maduro secured re-election despite the fact that “In the years since Mr. Maduro first took office, violence and hunger have become emblematic, inflation has skyrocketed, and the migration of Venezuelans out of the country has reached unprecedented levels.“
The Miami Herald reports: “The president of Venezuela’s National Assembly – a man some argue is the rightful president of the country – was briefly detained Sunday in a confusing series of events that the government suggested was part of a ‘media spectacle’ designed to undermine the socialist administration. Juan Guaidó was on his way to a political rally Sunday when his car was stopped on the highway by masked security forces of the SEBIN political police who bundled him into a nearby vehicle. But within hours he had been released and was addressing a crowd of supporters on the outskirts of Caracas.”
Guillermo Zubillaga, head of the Amercicas Society’s Venezuela Working Group, wrote in in-depth profile on Guidó, a 35-year old who assumed leadership of the National Assembly in early January. Some think his youth gives him an advantage in challenging Maduro.
Maduro and Putin. Thunder buddies for life. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Kremlin
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, Guatemala, Guyana, Venezuela