Conservative wins raise questions over Latin America’s political direction
Al Jazeera examined recent right-wing election victories in Peru and Colombia and whether they point to a broader regional alignment.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Recent presidential victories by right-wing candidates in Peru and Colombia have added to a broader shift toward conservative governments in Latin America, according to Al Jazeera. The trend matters because some of those leaders have adopted themes similar to those used by US President Donald Trump on crime and migration.
Al Jazeera said conservative politicians have won elections across the region, with the latest wins in Peru and Colombia coming in the past month. The network described those victories as part of an expanding group of conservative leaders who have taken office in Latin America over the past three years.
The discussion, hosted by presenter Scott McLean, focused on whether the election results point to more than a series of domestic political changes. Al Jazeera framed the central question as whether a new conservative regional alliance could be forming.
The programme identified crime and migration as two issues where some Latin American conservative leaders have echoed Trump’s language. Al Jazeera did not detail specific policies in the programme summary, but said the rhetoric has become a shared feature among some figures in the region.
The guests were Jose Ragas, a historian and assistant professor at the Catholic University of Chile; Oliver Stuenkel, an associate professor at the School of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil; and Javier Farje, a journalist and historian.
The 28-minute segment was published on July 5, 2026. It placed the recent elections in Peru and Colombia within a three-year period in which conservative leaders have gained power in multiple Latin American countries, according to Al Jazeera.
The programme did not present the trend as settled into a formal bloc. Instead, it raised the possibility that shared political messaging and recent electoral success could be creating conditions for closer coordination among right-wing governments in the region.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.