Latin America: elections for all tastes

They have very different dimensions and scope, but they all reflect the mood and problems of the region. Four elections are held in Latin America in October. The vote that attracts the most attention, perhaps because of the push of the ultra Javier Milei, an expert in dominating the conversation – and the noise – in social networks, is the first round of the presidential elections in Argentina, next Sunday 22. A week before, Ecuador will define in the second round who picks up the baton from Guillermo Lasso in the midst of an unprecedented security crisis. Colombians will close the month on the 29th with the election of mayors and governors. And, if Chavismo allows it, Venezuelans will decide the name of the leader of the opposition in an internal consultation still uncertain.

Very interesting talk that goes far beyond Argentina in subjects discussed https://t.co/cUKZtSitfk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2023

The economist who in August won the so-called PASO, the Mandatory Simultaneous Open Primaries, the politician who wants to dollarize Argentina and proposed to regulate the sale of organs, aroused the interest of Elon Musk himself, maximum leader of X, Twitter before his arrival. The tycoon refers in a message to an interview of Tucker Carlson, former star of Fox News, with Milei. "Very interesting talk that goes far beyond Argentina in the topics covered," he writes. In it, the presidential candidate grabbed the word freedom, stretched it like chewing gum or turned it into a slogan. Once again, as he does every day, closing any proclamation with a "long live freedom, dammit".

Yesterday in Pilar... Photo taken during what was the recording of the spot for the Province of Buenos Aires with @CarolinaPiparo.

FREEDOM ADVANCES

ALIVE FREEDOM CARAJOhttps://t.co/wmrV8eTWg9

— Javier Milei (@JMilei) September 29, 2023

His aspiration to sweep away Peronism put the traditional right, represented by Patricia Bullrich, in a bind, who is used to demonstrate that her coalition is "the only force that has really confronted Kirchnerism for 20 years." Meanwhile, the government's candidate, Sergio Massa, who emerged seriously weakened from the primaries, has no qualms about campaigning inaugurating works using his position as candidate and economy minister of a country struggling with galloping inflation and suffocating poverty rates.

MORE PUBLIC HEALTH FOR OUR RETIREES

We inaugurated 4 PAMI hospitals to take care of the health of the retirees of Escobar, Hurlingham, Ituzaingó and Lanús. Together with @Kicillofok and Luana Volnovich, we are convinced that the State must be present with better public health. pic.twitter.com/6wn310jAcQ

— Sergio Massa (@SergioMassa) September 25, 2023

But if in Argentina the alarm is called Javier Milei, in Ecuador it has another name and is already a yoke for the population. A very serious wave of violence mobilized the candidates since before the first round, when organized crime murdered Fernando Villavicencio, one of the candidates. The promise to protect Ecuadorians is at the heart of the campaign. Luisa González, promoted by former President Rafael Correa, assures that she will declare "in emergency" the security sector and that she will recover control of the streets and prisons against drug traffickers. And his opponent, Daniel Noboa, a young businessman son of billionaire Alvaro Noboa, last week released a video from what looks like a CSI set: Miami to present his plan against crime.

We urgently need a safe environment for Ecuadorian families.

This is the Phoenix👇🏽 Plan #SomosLaNuevaGeneracion#NoboaEsSeguridad pic.twitter.com/8BlNwJeLf4

— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) September 28, 2023

In Venezuela the fight is, for now, different. The opposition to Nicolás Maduro called for a primary on the 22nd to choose its candidate with a view to the presidential elections of 2024. Right-wing Maria Corina Machado leads all polls, followed by another veteran, Henrique Capriles. Both, however, are disabled. And the new National Electoral Council (CNE), chaired by the same official who had promoted his disqualifications, threatens to control the internal consultation, which endangers the entire process and even the possibility that the next presidential elections will be held on equal terms.

We have been preparing for this moment and the moment has arrived. It is up to us to save Venezuela and the first step is October 22.

That day begins the definitive stage that will lead us to freedom.

We ratified it today in #Aragua and we will prove it in 24 days:... pic.twitter.com/qQNPNZdSna

— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) September 29, 2023

Colombians will also go to the polls in a midterm election that will result in mayors and governors. The coalition of Gustavo Petro, the first clearly leftist president of the Andean country, faces the appointment as an obstacle course. And not even the mobilizations of his followers or the meetings of the Government with the voters have been enough, for the moment, to reverse the wear and avoid a victory, according to the polls, of Carlos Fernando Galán, candidate of the New Liberalism and son of Luis Carlos Galán, assassinated in 1989 during the presidential campaign.

Gathered in Engativa, Bogotá in government with the people. pic.twitter.com/bv4cjhIXxn

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) September 29, 2023