Political Landscapes Across Latin America: Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mex...

On August 20th, 2023, leftist political outsiders in both Ecuador and Guatemala came out on top. In Ecuador, Luisa González took first place in the presidential election and will face Daniel Noboa in October. The August 20th election was held shortly after Ecuador’s presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed–González ran in his place. Just days before the election, leader of the left-wing Citizen Revolution Party in Esmeraldas, Pedro Briones was also murdered.

Jake Johnston writes on the spiraling violence and renewed political instability in a report he coauthored for Center for Economic and Policy Research. Jake joins Esty Dinur to discuss the recent events, how Ecuador got here, and what we can expect next.

The election in Guatemala in August resulted in the presidential election of leftist Bernardo Arevalo. His election has resulted in significant political unrest. Professor emeritus of history and Latin American studies Miguel Tinker Salas joins us to explain the corruption and coop activity in Guatemala. We also briefly discuss the 2024 Mexican presidential campaign, where both front runners are women.

Jake Johnston is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. He is the lead author for CEPR’s Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch blog.

Miguel Tinker Salas is professor emeritus of history and Latin American studies at Pomona College. He is author of Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know and The Enduring Legacy: Oil, Culture, and Society in Venezuela.

Photo by Clovis Castaneda on Unsplash

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