Leftist governments have won elections in Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Chile and Mexico
Letter from Latin America: Region tilts to the left
Brazil and Colombia may be about to follow the pattern of their neighbours in taking a political left turn
Latin America is not a monolith, as anyone who knows the region will tell you. Brazil is the size of a continent and holds more people than the entire population of Western Europe. Mexico, while smaller geographically, is also one of the world’s most populous countries. Yet in many ways the two could not be more different. In terms of language, economy and culture, Brazil and Mexico have distinct features that make them unique, but there is also an undeniable overlap. In fact, almost all the mainland countries of Latin America share a common backstory in terms of the Iberian conquest and the linguistic and cultural inheritance it carries: a shared history of colonialism and exploitation. And
Also in this section
7 August 2025
Without US backing, the EU’s newest sanctions package against Russia—though not painless—is unlikely to have a significant impact on the country’s oil and gas revenues or its broader economy
6 August 2025
Diesel market disruptions have propelled crude prices above $100/bl twice in this century, and now oil teeters on the brink of another crude quality crisis
5 August 2025
After failed attempts to find a buyer for its stake in Russia’s largest oil producer, BP may be able to avoid the harsh treatment meted out to ExxonMobil and Shell when they exited—and could even restart operations if geopolitical conditions improve
1 August 2025
A number of companies have filed arbitration claims against Gazprom over non-deliveries of contracted gas or other matters—and won. The next step is to collect the award, but this is no easy task
