How the War in Gaza Plays Out in Chile’s Domestic Politics

Chile's President Gabriel Boric greets members of the Palestinian community in Chile at a ceremony called 'From Belen (Bethlehem) to Chile' during the Christmas season, December 20, 2023. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado.

Several left-leaning Latin American governments have criticized Israel for its response to the October 7 attack, including Mexico, Colombia, and Brazi. But Chile’s young president, Gabriel Boric, stands out for consistent harshness, which extends to his view of Chile’s Jewish community. Ethnic Politics in Chile Chile hosts Latin America’s largest Palestinian community, an estimated 400,000 […]

A Duly Elected Dictator – The Case of El Salvador’s Bukele

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Photo credit: REUTERS/Jose Cabeza.

Nayib Bukele has been reelected president of El Salvador. The Salvadoran constitution prohibits consecutive terms as president but Salvadorans looked past the legal prohibitions to elect their young, charismatic, and popular president to a second five-year term. Bukele’s new term in power has implications for El Salvador’s postwar democracy and other populist leaders in the […]

Latin American Views on the Gaza War Are in Flux

People hold signs reading "Gaza Free" and "Long live Palestine, beautiful, free and sovereign" at a pro-Palestinian march in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 3, 2023. Photo credit: REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta

In the days and weeks after the October 7 terrorist attack and Israeli military response, some Latin American nations have distanced themselves politically from Israel. While views of the conflict are evolving, the Latin American public’s reliance on social media for news reports, amid relentlessly negative images of suffering in Gaza, has contributed to widespread […]

South America’s Two Leftist Heavyweights Share Goals but Not Tactics

Brazil’s President LuBrazil’s President Lula da Silva holds hands with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 1, 2023. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ricardo Moraesla da Silva holds hands with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 1, 2023. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

The new presidents of Colombia and Brazil, the two most prominent leaders in South America, are both looking to shake up the status quo – with different playbooks. Colombia’s Gustavo Petro takes a confrontational, boisterous, outspoken, and anti-establishment approach. Brazil’s Lula da Silva (“Lula”) is a pragmatic, conciliatory leader seeking to build broad coalitions around […]