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The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Why has Latin American shifted to the right?
The second world war ended with an agreement of coexistence that included the creation of the UN multilateral system and a development model that combined the state, the market and democracy as an arena for political dispute. In Latin America, this was reflected in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) model, which promoted protectionism and addressed social issues through fiscal targeting. But in the last quarter of the 20th century, the same postwar organizations imposed a new, market-centered model. Value was replaced by price, trade liberalization was prioritized and social issues were subordinated to the laws of the market. The concentration of capital and the delegitimization of democracy broke the previous consensus. Although progressive governments emerged, they were unable to contain the rise of the new autocratic right, supported by de facto powers such as the media, the church, the military and the technocracy. The crisis of representation led political parties to abandon their bases, leaving room for 'anti-politicians' who found a platform in mainstream media. Meanwhile, the social outlook deteriorated. Inequality, already structural, worsened after 2016 and exploded during the pandemic, reaching a peak of 209 million Latin Americans experiencing poverty by the end of 2020. This inequality delegitimizes democracy. In tandem, progressive governments focused their efforts on reducing discrimination on the basis of gender, race, or occupation, rather than combating exclusion on the basis of class. This struggle has been attacked by the right, which labels progressives' defense of minorities as 'wokeism' and accuses it of fragmenting society. But in reality, it is a commitment to collective solidarity. Inequality and discrimination are not mutually exclusive; they complement each other. Nevertheless, these broad ideological shifts have led to the return of the right in the US, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Argentina and Paraguay, which can be understood through the radicalization of political projects, polarization on social networks, lawfare, persistent inequality, and discourses of electoral fraud. Media messaging and the emergence of digital silos have taken polarization to the extreme. With the use of artificial intelligence, political messages are segmented according to voters' fears. Social media bombards us with emotions, replacing debates about genuine alternatives with ideological confrontation. These digital bubbles have fabricated virtual leaders at the service of the new right's media conglomerates. Added to this digital invasion is the judicialization of politics. Prosecutors and judges lead conflicts that should be resolved democratically, without respecting due process or the presumption of innocence. The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was judicially excluded in the 2018 elections won by Bolsonaro, who today is being investigated for seeking to prevent Lula's 2023 inauguration. President Gustavo Petro, in Colombia, similarly faces 'soft coup' attempts affecting his ability to govern. With the election of Trump 2.0, the global far right has found an echo chamber in Florida and across the region, with the support of political leaders in the US, El Salvador and Argentina. Trump, who said 'we don't need' Latin America just days into his second term, has ratcheted up anti-Latin American aggression through decisions such as the persecution of migrants, the suspension of aid programs via USAID, the strengthening of sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, and the absurd territorial claims over Canada, the Gulf of Mexico and the Panama canal. All this marks the return of the Uncle Sam of the 1950s and Operation Condor of the 1970s and 80s. In the face of this threat, it is necessary to build a new solidarity-based development model that combines growth, inclusion, and democracy, with broad fronts such as Mexico's ruling Morena party or the leadership of Yamandú Orsi in Uruguay. Latin America must reintegrate regionally as an active part of the global south: réspice similia (look to your neighbors). Sign up to First Thing Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The Trumpist right wing is promoting deglobalization, abandoning the World Health Organization, denying the climate crisis, and attacking international justice. The model of coexistence resulting from the end of the second world war, although in crisis, must not be replaced by another hegemonic one, but rather through the construction of a new global order consolidated around the principles of social harmony, coexistence and collective economic progress, such as the one defended by China. In this new scenario, Latin America must present itself as integrated, a single voice before the world. The region does not need concentration camps for migrants to understand that we are heading straight to a fascist abyss and that the only antidote to avoid falling into it is, and will always be, progressivism. Ernesto Samper Pizano was president of Colombia from 1994 to 1998
Reuters
03-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
'It's a joke': Peruvians outraged after president doubles her salary
LIMA, July 3 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte will double her salary to the equivalent of some $10,000 per month, angering many Peruvians who said the money would be better spent on alleviating poverty. The economy minister announced late on Wednesday that the salary of Boluarte - whose approval ratings are among the lowest of any leader worldwide - had been increased to 35,568 soles ($10,067), about 30 times higher than Peru's minimum wage. The president's salary had previously been fixed at 15,600 soles ($4,400), a level introduced in 2006 when former President Alan Garcia reduced it from 42,000 soles. The minister said the salary hike had already been approved by the cabinet and should come into effect immediately. The government justified the increase by saying that compared with 12 counterparts across Latin America, her prior pay ranked 11th, above only that of the Bolivian president. Reuters could not determine the accuracy of the government's ranking, but an evaluation by the Rio Times last year showed Latin American presidents' salaries ranging between $3,000 and $22,000, averaging at around $9,600. However, Peruvians that Reuters spoke to were not impressed. "It's a joke," pensioner Rolando Fonseca said outside a newspaper stand in the capital Lima. "There is extreme poverty all over Peru and the president needs to set an example." Peru's economy has rebounded over the past two years, following a recession triggered by anti-government protests early in Boluarte's term. However, poverty rates, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, remain close to 30%. Boluarte is set to finish her term in July 2026, after presidential elections scheduled for next April. "She is about to leave and there is no need for her to increase her salary, she should be helping hospitals and sick children," said Carmen Juarez, a Lima housewife. Boluarte came to power in late 2022 after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was removed and arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress. Her approval ratings hover around 2% to 4%, according to recent polls by Datum and Ipsos Peru. She has faced accusations of corruption, including allegations of illicit enrichment involving Rolex watches. She was also investigated over her role in overseeing the police and military reaction to the anti-government protests, in which over 50 people died. Boluarte, 63, denies any wrongdoing. Repeated efforts to impeach Boluarte have been stymied by conservative political parties that support her. Peru has had six presidents since 2018, and three are currently behind bars. Opposition lawmaker Jaime Quito said he plans to promote an initiative in Congress to annul the pay rise. "This is a mockery to a country that is facing such serious problems," he said. ($1 = 3.5330 soles)
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘It's a joke': Peruvians outraged after president doubles her salary
A protester holds a photo of Peru's President Dina Boluarte marked with the Spanish word for corrupt during a march to demand the government provide security against the rising violence in Lima, Peru, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo) LIMA, July 3 - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte will double her salary to the equivalent of some US$10,000 per month, angering many Peruvians who said the money would be better spent on alleviating poverty. The economy minister announced late on Wednesday that the salary of Boluarte - whose approval ratings are among the lowest of any leader worldwide - had been increased to 35,568 soles ($10,067), about 30 times higher than Peru's minimum wage. The president's salary had previously been fixed at 15,600 soles ($4,400), a level introduced in 2006 when former President Alan Garcia reduced it from 42,000 soles. The minister said the salary hike had already been approved by the cabinet and should come into effect immediately. The government justified the increase by saying that compared with 12 counterparts across Latin America, her prior pay ranked 11th, above only that of the Bolivian president. Reuters could not determine the accuracy of the government's ranking, but an evaluation by the Rio Times last year showed Latin American presidents' salaries ranging between $3,000 and $22,000, averaging at around $9,600. However, Peruvians that Reuters spoke to were not impressed. 'It's a joke,' pensioner Rolando Fonseca said outside a newspaper stand in the capital Lima. 'There is extreme poverty all over Peru and the president needs to set an example.' Peru's economy has rebounded over the past two years, following a recession triggered by anti-government protests early in Boluarte's term. However, poverty rates, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, remain close to 30%. Boluarte is set to finish her term in July 2026, after presidential elections scheduled for next April. 'She is about to leave and there is no need for her to increase her salary, she should be helping hospitals and sick children,' said Carmen Juarez, a Lima housewife. Boluarte came to power in late 2022 after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was removed and arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress. Her approval ratings hover around 2% to 4%, according to recent polls by Datum and Ipsos Peru. She has faced accusations of corruption, including allegations of illicit enrichment involving Rolex watches. She was also investigated over her role in overseeing the police and military reaction to the anti-government protests, in which over 50 people died. Boluarte, 63, denies any wrongdoing. Repeated efforts to impeach Boluarte have been stymied by conservative political parties that support her. Peru has had six presidents since 2018, and three are currently behind bars. Opposition lawmaker Jaime Quito said he plans to promote an initiative in Congress to annul the pay rise. 'This is a mockery to a country that is facing such serious problems,' he said. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
The Herald
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Global Citizen summit targets finance reform, renewable energy scale-up
Global Citizen, the world's leading advocacy organisation dedicated to ending extreme poverty, has announced that its flagship action summit, Global Citizen NOW, will take place at CaixaForum Sevilla in Spain on June 29. The event will convene ahead of the UN's Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Hosted in partnership with the Spanish government, the summit will gather leaders across sectors to drive ambitious action on poverty and the climate crisis. The summit will serve as a strategic catalyst and global platform to shape the action coming out of FfD4 and advance an ambitious agenda for financing reform and international co-operation. It will feature dynamic high-level panels and highlight the urgent need for investments in renewable energy across Africa and transformative investments in development finance. Pedro Sánchez, President of Spain, said the UN's FfD4 is a critical opportunity that could not be more timely. 'World leaders need to work together within the multilateral framework to reshape the global financial architecture so it works for everyone, especially the world's most vulnerable. 'Spain is proud to co-host Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla to drive bold, co-ordinated action to tackle the world's biggest challenges and mobilise ambitious initiatives for sustainable development,' said Sánchez. The summit will serve as a key moment in Global Citizen's year-long s caling up renewables in Africa campaign, in partnership with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Cyril Ramaphosa, with policy support from the International Energy Agency. The campaign aims to secure commitments from governments, the private sector and multilateral banks towards tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, support the creation of 500,000 new energy jobs, and address the unmet energy needs of 600-million people who don't have electricity on the continent. It will culminate in a pledging conference in November alongside the G20 summit. 'Our global financial system was not designed to meet today's challenges. It must evolve to reflect the realities of a world in crisis,' said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados. Mottley said from unsustainable debt burdens to the escalating climate emergency, too many nations are being asked to do more with less. 'The Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla summit is a vital platform to champion equitable financing, accelerate renewable energy transitions across Africa and SIDS, and advance the systemic reforms our world urgently needs. Now is the time for co-operation and decisive action for people and planet,' she said. Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Hugh Evans said Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will showcase international co-operation at a time when the world so urgently needs it. 'The future of financing global development demands radical efficiency, as we need to do more with less to deliver the impact that is needed to end extreme poverty around the world,' Evans said. The summit will be hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha, actress, humanitarian and Global Citizen ambassador. Previous editions of Global Citizen NOW have been held in New York, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro. Later this year, the summit series is expected to expand its global footprint and also head to Detroit, Michigan, Belém, Brazil and Johannesburg. TimesLIVE
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
‘When the river swells, it forces them to run backwards': rising waters push Colombia's farmers into hunger and despair
Riosucio was established between rivers and swamps. For most of the year, the people of this Colombian municipality live above water and have developed ways to manage the fluctuating river levels. A network of makeshift wooden boards connects the houses in the town, allowing people to move between them. Despite the resilience of these communities, their increasingly harsh environment is beginning to overcome all the methods and systems designed to tame it, causing crop destruction, hunger and deepening poverty. A recent study by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that food insecurity increased in Colombia's rural areas in 2024, despite an overall decrease of 0.6%. Chocó, where Riosucio is situated, experienced the largest increase, from 18.9% in 2023 to 36.3% in 2024. 'Salaquí is the main food pantry of Riosucio, but it is now dying,' says Benjamin Palacios, 76, a subsistence farmer and community leader. 'When the river swells, it forces them to run backwards, surrounding them and damaging their land and plantations.' The Salaquí area in Riosucio comprises 12 Afrodescendant and Indigenous communities, all situated along the banks of the Salaquí River and its tributaries. According to Dane, nearly 40,000 of Riosucio's 53,000 people live in rural areas, and about 46,000 are Afrodescendant – 71% of the population suffers from multidimensional poverty. The crisis further intensified last year when the Chocó region was hit by severe flooding. Many communities are now experiencing food insecurity, as people in the Salaquí River basin rely heavily on agriculture. They primarily plant plantain and cassava, both of which are vulnerable to flooding. Although cocoa plantations were also common, they have disappeared due to extreme weather conditions. 'There are times when we only eat once a day or eat the plantain on its own,' says Berta Lozano, a farmer in the Salaquí basin who lives in Riosucio with her nine children. Since the floods, farmers have been forced to travel long distances from their homes, raising costs and lowering income, as transport is mainly by boat and petrol is expensive. Poor road conditions are yet another obstacle. It is common to see trucks that have become stuck or have overturned while transporting food. 'In November, I lost my plantain production completely. Every time a neighbour told me they had nothing to eat, I'd give them from here. Now, everything is gone,' says Aparicio Vásquez, who had half a hectare with different crops by the side of the river. Communities attribute changes in weather patterns to the climate crisis and say that producing food has become much more challenging. 'Before, the rainy season would begin in April and continue until November. Then it dried up, and we were able to harvest the crop. Now, everything is messed up, and we can't figure out when is the right time to plant our crops,' he says. As a result of the food crisis, many residents have left. Vásquez decided to stay. 'Here we are subsisting, but if we are forced to leave, it would be harder,' he says. 'Where would we go? What would we live from?' As well as the climate issues, the region has also been severely affected by Colombia's armed conflict, increasing displacements. The Gaitanist Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AGC) control local movements in the area, tagging wooden houses with 'AGC' to announce their territorial dominance. The Guardian was granted access to the communities of Regadero and Coco Arenal but was prohibited from visiting a third. Both communities are affected by logs and sediment blocking the Salaquí River and its tributaries, which hinders the transportation of people and goods, occasionally leading to crop losses. Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion 'Here, a 20-metre pole was not enough to reach the ground. Now, the river ranges in depth from 1 to 1.2 metres,' says Jesus Chalá, a representative of the community of Regadero who owned 23 hectares (57 acres) of plantain but has now lost everything. He says that among the 268 families that once lived in Regadero, only a handful remain. 'In 2020, people started leaving. We are rebuilding to return, but it is not easy,' says Chalá, while walking over the remains of his neighbours' houses. Mining also exacerbates food insecurity by contaminating water and land. Tests carried out by the University of Córdoba on people in the Atrato River basin revealed that 90% had unsafe mercury levels. While mercury contamination is devastating for fish, river sedimentation affects their reproduction, reducing fish populations – another factor contributing to food insecurity. 'When I began fishing at 16, with a 150-metre trammel net, I used to catch about 2,550 fish. Today, with a 1,000-metre trammel, you'd be lucky to catch 150 fish. There are even fishing trips that end with zero catch,' says Daniel Palacios Mosquera, legal representative of the artisanal fishers association, Asopescar. With food crops and fish becoming scarcer, prices have risen, further hurting those who have little. 'Fish should be abundant, but they're difficult to find, and the few we find are very expensive because they're scarce,' says Evangelina Murillo, who works with the Association of Community Councils and Ethnic-Territorial Organisations of the Lower Atrato, an environmental group. Last November, Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, declared a state of emergency for 12 months due to extreme weather conditions in Chocó, La Guajira and Bogotá, aiming to mitigate the effects of floods and droughts. His government has also implemented the 'zero hunger' programme. Despite that, the recent Dane and FAO reports indicate that these policies were insufficient to prevent food insecurity in the Chocó region. People in Riosucio believe the government programmes are misguided as they have not yet addressed the river issue. 'The only thing that guarantees us a livelihood is our land,' says Juan Bautista, leader of the Coco Arenal community. 'Hunger does not wait.'
