Beloved Chasqui readers! This edition covers the results of elections in the United States and Chile. Plus learn how entrepreneurship is changing Latin America.

The Latino vote and its nuances. This week’s election in the United States saw a record share of Latinos voting for the Republican candidate. Donald Trump, who only captured 29 percent of this bloc in 2016, won 42 percent of Latinos in 2024 according to exit polls. But Latinos are a large and diverse group representing about 15 percent of the total U.S. voting population, and the bloc still mostly voted for Kamala Harris.

AS/COA Online used exit polls and projections to understand the gains and losses among this Latino voters in 2024. We look specifically into results of the U.S. counties with the highest percentage of Latino residents, including the 19 of the 26 counties along the U.S. border— in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas—where Trump prevailed. Both of California's border counties voted for Harris.

Learn about how Latino voters across demographic and states cast their ballots.

Latin America’s secret sauce. Latin America has seen some of the greatest entrepreneurship in the world in the past decade, leading to thriving business ecosystems, unicorn companies, and an exceptional pool of talent. How? A new Latin America in Focus podcast brings you a conversation from the 2024 COA Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards, held in Miami on October 30. The region’s top entrepreneurs, who have financed or founded companies that changed lives in Latin America in recent years, detail how to build billion-dollar businesses and how the region can create top entrepreneurs in the globe in the coming years.

BRICS by BRICS. The bloc of countries, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, met for their sixteenth summit in October. Led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the BRICS saw the introduction of four new members and the signing of a declaration on Ukraine, “illegal sanctions,” grain, and more. Our updated BRICS explainer looks at the outcomes of the latest summit and how the bloc is working toward its goal of a multipolar world and less dollar-dominated global financial system. 

122 out of 345. Mayor posts up for grabs in Chile’s October 26–27 local and regional elections that were won by Let’s Go Chile (Chile Vamos), a coalition of right and center-right parties. That’s a marked increase from the 87 they won in 2021.

85 percent. The turnout in the election, marking an all-time high. Part of the reason turnout improved so much from 43 percent in similar contests in 2021? This was the first time voting was mandatory for local and regional elections, per new constitutional rules.

1 year. Until Chile’s next presidential election, set for November 23, 2025. The local and regional election offered a preview to this contest. Read our rundown for the major takeaways.

Want to know more about election results across the hemisphere? Our 2024 Election Guide has you covered.