Are we seeing a serious political shift in Central and South America?
Maybe...
Outsider presidential candidate Daniel Noboa celebrates his win in the Ecuadorian election.
Photo: Reuters
Hello Financial Healers,
I’ve been keeping my eye on Central and South America for the past 6 months. World politics interests me, and economics are so often tied to the leaders running the country.
For most of my life, Central and South America has struggled with a stigma of crime and corruption. Dictatorial governments (who have sometimes been propped up by the U.S.), have hampered economic freedom and crippled personal wealth.
But recent changes in our Central and South American neighbors’ countries makes me think, We might be witnessing a huge political shift… for the better. Younger and more outsider leaders, like Daniel Noboa, who just won the presidential race in Ecuador, are committing to the serious work of combatting crime… and they’re not apologizing for it.
One of my favorite world leaders to watch is El Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele. His severe but welcomed anti-crime measures have put over 60,000 gang members in jail. The result? El Salvador is much safer, and Bukele’s approval rating has skyrocketed to over 80%. Other nearby countries are so impressed, they’re adopting or proclaiming similar tough-on-crime measures to tackle crime and violence.
President Nayib Bukele speaks to a large crowd of soldiers in El Salvador.
Photo: CNN
A third and final country to watch is Argentina. In a few days (October 22), they’ll vote in one of the most talked about presidential elections of 2023. Javier Milei, a political outsider and self-described anarcho-capitalist, is vowing to take control of the economic crisis and soften the country’s inflation rate. Argentines have recently suffered a terrible economic crisis, with crippling yearly inflation of 124%.
It’s an exciting time of change and progress. Anytime a political outsider wins and promises to return power to the people (and actually does it), I feel ecstatic.
Cheering on our Central and South American neighbors,
Cory De Silva
About: Cory De Silva is an American poet, singer/songwriter, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He has released two studio albums, appeared in three feature-length films, and published a small book of poetry. He is a graduate of Cal State University Long Beach, and lives in Northern California with his wife, Colleen, and their son, Bryght.