Nearly half of Mexico’s states head to the ballot box on July 4, with voters picking new governors in 12 out of the 14 elections. AS/COA explores the races, the assassination of a gubernatorial candidate, and the resurgence of the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Voters chose continuity in electing former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos by a landslide during Colombia's June 20 runoff. He garnered 69 percent of the vote compared to the 27 percent earned by his rival, former Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus.

Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos is favored to win against ex-Mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus in Colombia's second round of presidential elections on June 20.

Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos won more than twice the votes of his main rival in Colombia's May 30 elections, but fell short of gaining the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff. Santos and the Green Party's Antanas Mockus compete for the presidency in a second round on June 20.

In publicly recognizing that the events of June 2009 were a coup, the Honduran president may be seeking more normalized international relations at the risk of domestic alienation.

The Green Party's Antanas Mockus and the U Party's Juan Manuel Santos are neck and neck in Colombia's presidential race, according to polls released ahead of May 30 elections. Neither is expected to win the needed absolute majority, making a June 20 runoff likely.

Laura Chinchilla takes the reins in Costa Rica on May 8. The country's first female president initiated her policy agenda beforehand, naming ministers and touring Central America to promote regional unity and security.