Right-wing candidates won elections in Colombia and Peru this week, reinforcing a broader regional swing to the right across Latin America. The article says the trend, described as the continent’s “blue wave,” has moved countries such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and Panama sharply right in the past two years, reversing the earlier “pink tide” that pushed the region left about five years ago.
The shift is driven mainly by public frustration over economic conditions and personal security. Political scientist Dr. Mauricio Diment, a Latin America expert at the Hebrew University and the College of Management, said people in the region feel badly about democracy and the political system, and that voters are dissatisfied with state services, security and the economy. He added that in several countries security is central, with right-wing candidates promising tougher measures.
In Peru, the president-elect campaigned on the slogan “Order for Peru” and promised to declare a 60-day state of emergency to fight “civil insecurity.” In Colombia, winner Abelardo de la Espriella said he would restore security and build giant prisons, with armed militias a central election issue. The article also notes that Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro cut ties with Israel and became one of its most vocal critics, while de la Espriella promised to strengthen relations with Jerusalem and move Colombia’s embassy there.
The regional shift is also helping Israel, according to the article, because governments that turn right tend to be less critical of it. Diment said this comes “at a good time for Israel” and could help ease its international isolation. Argentina’s President Javier Milei is described as one of Israel’s strongest supporters internationally, and Honduras has also moved to deepen ties after its rightward turn. An Israeli Foreign Ministry official, Amir Oren, said in February that there has been “an intensive change in Israel’s diplomatic activity in the region.” The article adds that the change reflects closer ties between Latin American right-wing leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration is deeply involved in the region’s politics. Despite the blue wave, Brazil and Mexico remain under left-wing leaders, and Brazil is due to hold elections in October, when incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the former president.
