Elections in Ecuador and Guatemala suggest an anti-incumbent surge
The rise of the outsider candidate is a broader trend across the region
On August 20th voters went to the polls in Ecuador and Guatemala. Both produced results that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago. In Ecuador two candidates will now head to a run-off: Luisa González, a protégée of Rafael Correa, a former left-wing populist president, and Daniel Noboa, a 35-year-old who was polling in single digits a few days before the vote. In Guatemala the result was a landslide win for Bernardo Arévalo, a reformer who took 61% of votes, far ahead of the 39% gained by Sandra Torres, a former first lady on her third (unsuccessful) run for the presidency. Both elections show that Latin Americans are fed up with the status quo.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “The rise of the outsider candidate”
From the August 26th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from The Americas
Justin Trudeau leaves a wrecked party and divided Canada
Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland are among those tipped as the next Liberal leader
Does made in Mexico mean made by China?
Donald Trump believes Mexico is a trojan horse for Chinese mercantilism
Failure to prepare for climate change is costing Honduras dear
Weeks after the most recent storm, the country is still in emergency mode
Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro looks set to take the throne
Relying on a fabricated election victory, the incumbent will be sworn in again
Why Spanish firms have cooled towards Latin America
Slow growth and messy politics are largely to blame
Latin Americans are worryingly relaxed about authoritarianism
The Latinobarómetro poll shows a region that is happier with its democracies, but at ease with illiberalism