In mid November, 2013 Venezuela’s congress voted to give President Nicolás Maduro the power to legislate by decree for the next 12 months. 

While the Media Law passed by the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2009 was finally declared constitutional in October by the Argentine high court, critics of the law have hardly surrendered. 

El Espectador of Bogotá asserted that “if anything is clear,” the peace process and post-conflict settlement will be key issues in the next presidential election. 

El Comercio of Lima reported that 60% of Peruvians disapprove of President Ollanta Humala, according to the latest survey by Datum International. 

The Buenos Aires Herald reported that according to a recent poll, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff “is coasting into an election year” as the clear favorite, though “she must do more to curb violence and corruption to maintain her popularity.” 

Prensa Gráfica of San Salvador reported that Jorge Velado, president of the ARENA party’s national executive council, alleged that the ruling leftist FMLN party and its presidential candidate, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, are perpetrating political harassment

Fredy Martin reported in El Universal of Mexico City that the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) announced, in a statement signed by Subcomandante Marcos, that the armed group cannot ignore the “climate of hysteria”

Marco Cáceres said in Honduras Weekly of Tegucigalpa that there’s “one muddy election a comin’,” but still indulged in a little political soothsaying. 

Patricio Navia in Buenos Aires Herald concluded that a year before the presidential election in Brazil, President Dilma Rousseff is vulnerable, but that the opposition has yet to capitalize on her problems. 

El Tiempo of Bogotá noted the challenges to be faced by Óscar Iván Zuluaga, the candidate chosen by former President Álvaro Uribe to represent his new party (since Uribe is constitutionally prohibited from running again).