Latin Americans catch MAGA fever as US lefties – Latest News
South and Central Americans have caught MAGA fever big-time, even as many lefties within the United States push to repeat Latin America’s big-government failures.
The newest: Abelardo de la Espriella’s victory in Colombia’s presidential election after President Donald Trump endorsed him.
De la Espriella beat left-winger Iván Cepeda by vowing to crack down on crime and corruption and to rescue the economic system, partially by cooperating with Team Trump.
His supporters even wore hats that learn “Make Colombia Great Again.”
While Cepeda pushed for higher energy for public-sector unions and more concessions to violent rebels, Colombia’s incoming chief goals to roll back authorities spending by 40%, trim the state headcount and slash taxes. Good for him — and Colombia.
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This Latin trend began with Javier Milei’s 2023 victory in Argentina, after vowing to take a chainsaw to Big Government and embrace free-market economics.
Milei’s speedy success received him widespread reputation all through Latin America (and past).
Also fueling the rightward flip: Trump’s trademark appeal, notably his give attention to combating medicine, gangs and terrorists, and the hope of US support in comparable fights in Central and South American international locations.
Since Milei’s win, right-leaning or centrist pols have captured the highest workplace in Chile, Peru, Honduras, Bolivia and Costa Rica.
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In Ecuador, tough-on-crime President Daniel Noboa snagged a full four-year time period final yr after successful a snap election in 2023.
In 2024, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, received reelection in a beautiful landslide — with 83% of the vote — after crushing gang violence.
Brazil could also be subsequent in October, as polls show right-leaning Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro in a useless heat with far-left President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
It’s a beautiful shift all throughout the area, pushed by Milei’s success, Trump’s help and the disasters wrought by lefty insurance policies.
The predominant exceptions are Mexico, the place the ruling occasion’s been rewriting legal guidelines to kneecap any opposition, and outright tyrannies such as Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela (whose rulers nonetheless resist free elections regardless of Trump’s ouster of Nicolás Maduro).
All whereas US progressives push for more of the very failed insurance policies our neighbors are abandoning.
No marvel Democrats are speaking about drastic steps to lock of their own energy — packing the Supreme Court, stacking the Senate by granting statehood to DC and Puerto Rico and so forth — once they subsequent control Washington: They don’t dare give Americans one other likelihood to kick them out after they wreak catastrophe.
