Pedro Castillo has the keys to Peru’s castle. The question is what he’ll do with them. “We don’t know what shade of left this government’s going to be,” says Peru-based journalist Mitra Taj of the former union leader to Latin America in Focus.
Then there’s the matter of the challenges Castillo will face as someone who is distinctly not part of the capital’s elite and only had his win confirmed days before the July 28 inauguration. “Are we a country of Lima, or are we a country of the Andes?” asks legal expert Alonso Gurmendi in the same episode. Listen to the podcast.
Didn’t see that coming. Chile’s July 18 presidential primaries delivered two surprising and youthful winners when former student political leader Gabriel Boric on the left and Sebastián Sichel on the right beat out frontrunners to lead their respective coalitions. The outcome showed voters are hungry for something new—and more moderate. Read about the results.
Get a rundown on this year’s Latin American elections in our 2021 Election Guide.
Tax reform lit a powder keg of discontent in Colombia three months ago. Now, the government has introduced a plan it hopes will be palatable. An analysis by the Financial Times’ Gideon Long says the new proposal seeks to place a greater burden on the private sector without scaring off international investors.
Ecuador’s citizens, the private sector, armed forces, and the Red Cross helped get over 400,000 people vaccinated last weekend in a push to hit the goal of immunizing 10 million people by the end of August—just before President Guillermo Lasso reaches 100 days in office in the country of 18 million. (AP)
Mexico registers over 16,0000 daily Covid cases in one day—the highest tally since the start of the pandemic. (Animal Político)
In a message of protest to the president, Brazilians dress as reptiles while waiting for Covid shots. (The Guardian)
Trade between Singapore and the Pacific Alliance, made up of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The figure will likely grow, with these countries slated to sign a free trade agreement in December.
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
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