Suriname’s Hinge Election

Suriname's President Chan Santokhi. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino.

Suriname, a small, resource-rich country with a population of 600,000, faces a consequential election in May 2025, when its current president, Chan Santokhi, seeks re-election. Owing to limited polling data, the outcome remains uncertain. But these elections will be pivotal for the country’s economic reform agenda and oil prospects and thus its economic future, as highlighted […]

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 […]