After Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador shook up the Latin American diplomatic world by insisting that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden invite all countries of the hemisphere (including the decidedly non-democratic Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua) to the planned Summit of the Americas scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, California, in June

The next Summit of the Americas is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, CA, from June 6 to 10, 2022. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador threw down the gauntlet by saying he would skip the Summit unless the Biden administration invites all countries in the region. In particular, if the U.S. president excludes

On May 9, 2022, former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched his campaign for a new presidential term, vowing to rebuild Brazil after what he called the “irresponsible and criminal” administration of far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. His move came as Brazil grows more polarized and tensions are rising, with widespread talk of a

On April 24, 2022, the regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua closed the offices of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the capital, Managua, and moved forward its planned withdrawal from the hemispheric diplomatic community. Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada announced his country’s immediate split from the OAS, saying that the “infamous organization” would

In late March 2022, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency on the heels of a bloody weekend in which 87 people were killed in gang-related violence. In the weeks since, he has carried out mass arrests against suspected gang members and moved to suppress news coverage, reminding people of the worst

President Andrés Manual Lopéz Obrador, known as AMLO, promised during his 2018 election campaign that he would give Mexicans the opportunity to boot him out of office in the second half of his term. On April 10, 2022, he gave them their chance. While fewer than 20% of Mexico’s citizens turned out to vote (far

On April 3, 2020, Rodrigo Chaves became Costa Rica’s President-elect. Costa Rica’s Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE) confirmed that Chaves, candidate of the Partido Progreso Social Democrático (PPSD), had won the Presidential elections over José María Figueres. The TSE made the announcement after 95% of the votes had been counted and also reported a high

On March 28, 2022, Peruvian opposition lawmakers failed yet again to remove President Pedro Castillo from office. They fell far short of the 87 votes required in Peru’s unicameral legislature; with 55 votes in favor of Castillo’s dismissal, 54 against, and 19 abstentions, the motion to vacate the presidency was a resounding dud. It was

In the days after Gabriel Boric, aged 36, was sworn in as Chile’s youngest president ever on March 11, 2022, observers all over Latin America noted positive signs for the future as well as rookie mistakes. Boric entered office with high approval ratings and with plans to turn the country into a greener and more

On March 13, 2020, Colombian voters seemed to take a decidedly leftward turn in their Congressional and presidential primary elections. They provided “historic support” for Senator Gustavo Petro, the leading leftist candidate who is the favorite in recent polls as Colombia heads for the May 29 presidential election. Petro’s Pacto Histórico coalition also did well