Bolsonaro loses out to Lula in Brazilian Premiership race 

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday. Bolsonaro, who has wrought havoc on the country since he came to power in 2019, is the first President of Brazil to lose an election while incumbent in over 3 decades.

Socialist candidate Gabriel Boric wins Chilean presidential election

Gabriel Boric, socialist candidate for Chilean President, has won the nation’s presidential election. Boric ran as candidate for the Approve Dignity coalition, comprised of various progressive parties including the Communist Party of Chile, Democratic Revolution, and the Commons

Far-right Peruvian presidential candidate refuses to concede election

The election authorities are currently studying all the accusations of fraud made by Fujimori. Most of the allegations have already been resolved because they were submitted too late, whilst those submitted before the 11th of June deadline have so far been shown to be baseless.

89 politicians in Mexico murdered leading up to midterm elections

At least 89 Mexican politicians have been murdered in the last 200 days, 35 of which were candidates for the midterm elections. There has also been over 700 attacks, according to security consultancy firm Etellekt, including threats, beatings and kidnappings.

Big gains for Chile’s Communists in regional and constitutional convention elections

Chileans took to the polls last Sunday (16 May 2021) to vote in both regional elections and to also to elect 155 members to a Constitutional Convention tasked with drafting a new constitution. The elected conventional deputies have a year to write the new constitution before the public will vote on whether to ratify it. The demand for this constitutional convention stems from the protests beginning in October 2019 that rocked the country as millions took to the streets to vent frustration at the current constitution which was drafted under the US backed dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1980.

Social unrest continues in Colombia

Huge numbers of protestors have taken to the streets of Colombia over the last week after President Duque attempted to pass a bill that would further increase inequality in the country by making the working class pay for the covid-19-induced fiscal deficit.