Brian Winter on CNN's Amanpour About the Right's Ascendancy in Latin America
Brian Winter on CNN's Amanpour About the Right's Ascendancy in Latin America
The editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly spoke about his article in Foreign Affairs regarding the rightward electoral tilt in the region.
Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly and vice president of policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas, spoke with Bianna Golodryga on CNN's Amanpour regarding his latest article for Foreign Affairs, which focuses on the right's ascendancy in Latin America.
Golodryga noted that it is normal to see the pendulum swinging between left and right-wing governments, but asked Winter what is different about this period.
"The biggest difference that we see, or the biggest trend we see in Latin America right now today, is anger over organized crime," said Winter. "And look, it's true that this is not a new issue for Latin America. This has been a problem in the region for 50 years, but the problem is getting worse. The amount of cocaine being produced in South America has more than tripled in the last 10 years. That's according to estimates by the United Nations. That has filled the pockets of cartels and criminal organizations all across the continent. And virtually no country in Latin America has been left untouched."
Golodryga and Winter talked about Argentina's President Javier Milei and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele as the main faces of this conservative movement and focused on the recent victory of José Antonio Kast, another conservative figure, in Chile's presidential elections.
"Chile is a country where the polling shows that President Trump is not particularly popular. Nevertheless, they elected a leader in José Antonio Kast, who is sympathetic to President Trump, but ultimately, is making, promises to be very tough on crime and also to be tough on immigration. Chile is a country that has seen a lot of immigration from Haiti, from Venezuela, because of the economic collapses in those two countries, and where there has been a lot of popular frustration as well. So Kast, for example, has said that he will build border barriers that recall, in many ways, President Trump's proposals here in the United States," said Winter.
Most of the reasons for the right's ascendancy stem "from changing realities within Latin America," writes AS/COA's Brian Winter in the magazine.
