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Articles on Latin American politics

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Days before their Oct. 28 presidential election, Brazilians protested news that supporters of right-wing front-runner Jair Bolsonaro had used WhatsApp to spread false information about his opponents. Reuters/Nacho Doce

WhatsApp skewed Brazilian election, showing social media’s danger to democracy

Facebook retired its ‘Move fast and break things’ slogan – perhaps because, as new research from Brazil confirms, democracy is among the things left broken by online misinformation and fake news.
Broken campaign promises have supporters wondering whether Andrés Manuel López Obrador will follow through on his commitment to ‘transform’ Mexico. Reuters/Henry Romero

López Obrador takes power in Mexico after an unstable transition and broken campaign promises

Mexicans want leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador to transform the country. But the months leading up to his inauguration sent worrying signs about how he he will use the massive power of his office.
Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks about the upcoming changes his administration will impose on national security during the national peace and security plan conference in Mexico City on Nov. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Anthony Vazquez)

Mexico’s left turn and the road to uncertainty

The success or failure of Mexico’s new president will have an impact on politics in the rest of Latin America as right-wing forces reclaim power. Is a brighter future for the region possible?
Supporters of Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro hope he will ‘transform’ their country, which has been mired in political and economic crises since 2015. AP Photo/Leo Correa

What Bolsonaro’s presidency means for Brazil: 5 essential reads

Bolsonaro promised angry Brazilians he would transform their crisis-stricken country. But he didn’t say how. Five Brazil experts examine his policies on crime, the economy, women, the Amazon and more.
Bolsonaro supporters celebrate outside his home in Rio de Janeiro after exit polls on Oct. 28 declared him the preliminary winner of Brazil’s 2018 presidential election. AP Photo/Leo Correa

Bolsonaro wins Brazil election, promises to purge leftists from country

Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing congressman and former army captain, is Brazil’s next president, with 56 percent of votes. Critics see a threat to democracy in his scathing attacks on Brazilian society.
Some 5,000 Venezuelans flee the country’s violence, tyranny and hunger every day, creating an historic migration crisis that rivals Syria’s. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Trump sees opportunity in Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis as midterms approach

Trump has called Venezuela a ‘human tragedy’ and threatened invasion while quietly deporting and denying asylum to Venezuelan refugees. His anti-socialist rhetoric may make for good midterm politics.
Presidential runoff candidates: Jair Bolsonaro, far-right lawmaker of the Social Liberal Party and Fernando Haddad of Brazil’s leftist Workers Party. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes/Washington Alves

‘Disillusioned’ Brazilians choose Bolsonaro, Haddad after a tense and violent campaign

After four years of economic crisis and corruption, Brazilians have never trusted their government less. They showed their frustration Sunday, voting for two ideologically opposed candidates.
Black women in Brazil protest presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro, who is known for his disparaging remarks about women, on Sept. 29, 2018. AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo

Sexism, racism drive more black women to run for office in both Brazil and US

In Brazil, a record 1,237 black women will stand for office in Sunday’s general election. As in the US, their campaigns reflect deep personal concern about rising racism and sexism in politics.
Argentina’s pro-choice movement, which began in 2003, hopes that the Senate will vote in favor of legalizing abortion on Aug. 8, 2018.

Facing a groundswell of support for legal abortion, Argentina’s Catholic Church moderates its tone

Abortion support is high in Argentina, even among Catholics. That puts the church, which opposes an abortion bill up for vote on August 8, in the awkward position of fighting a law its members demand.
The divisive right-wing Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, seen in here on a campaign poster, is often likened to Donald Trump. Some supporters take pride in the comparison. Reuters/Ricardo Moraes

Brazilian evangelicals, swinging hard to the right, could put a Trump-like populist in the presidency

Brazil’s evangelical Christians are an increasingly powerful political force. These conservative, faith-based voters are now backing a divisive firebrand known for racist remarks for the presidency.
Nicaragua, which overthrew its last violent dictator in 1979, is the only Latin American country since Cuba to stage a successful revolution. AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga

Nicaraguans try to topple a dictator — again

History shows that Latin American presidents usually don’t last long after they use violence to repress mass protests. Is Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega the next to fall?
Unpopular authoritarian leaders like Nicolás Maduro depend on military backing to stay in power. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

Is Venezuela’s president afraid of a coup d'etat?

Venezuela has freed 79 political prisoners in recent months, to global plaudits. But the hard-line regime has also charged 100 military officials with conspiracy. Does President Maduro fear overthrow?
Colombia ended its 52-year conflict with the FARC guerrillas in late 2016. The next president must decide whether to uphold the deal. AP Photo/Ivan Valencia

Colombia’s presidential runoff will be a yet another referendum on peace

Two candidates from Colombia’s May 27 presidential vote will face off on June 17. One is a former guerrilla. The other is a hard-liner. Their views for the nation’s future couldn’t be more different.

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