Podbit · The Rest Is Politics
Just a few years ago, Latin America looked decisively left: Boric in Chile, Petro in Colombia, Castillo in Peru, Lula in Brazil. Now Chile, Colombia, and Peru have all swung right — several by tiny margins — and the continent's political centre of gravity has shifted dramatically toward Trump-aligned leaders.
Where this was said
At 39:55 · chapter starts 39:18
Alastair opens the second half by acknowledging the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, before pivoting to the big political story: the collapse of Latin America's second pink tide. Rory traces the arc from Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales in the first tide, through Boric, Petro, Castillo, Lula, and Sheinbaum in the second, to the current right-wing sweep in Chile, Colombia, and Peru. José Antonio Kast won in Chile, described by Economist correspondent Michael Reid as authoritarian and uninspiring. Keiko Fujimori won Peru by fewer than 50,000 votes, 50.13% to 49.86%. Most disturbingly, Colombia elected Esprilla — a Trump ally and former mafia lawyer who represented drug traffickers and disappearances, modelling himself explicitly on El Salvador's Bukele. Trump's interventions, from endorsements to threatened sanctions, appear to have contributed to these narrow victories, though the drivers are also deeply internal — principally the perception that organised crime is out of control. [1] — Rory Stewart "Just a few years ago, Latin America looked decisively left: Boric in Chile, Petro in Colombia, Castillo in Peru, Lula in Brazil. Now Chile,…" 39:55
Colombia's new right-wing president Esprilla worked as a lawyer for organised crime groups associated with drug trafficking and disappearances before entering politics.
Keiko Fujimori won the Peruvian presidential election by fewer than 50,000 votes, 50.13% to 49.86%, in one of Latin America's closest recent contests.
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