onlinekas 68d ago

In Conversation with Henning Suhr and Olaf Jacob This episode examines how Latin America is undergoing a significant political shift. After years of left-leaning governments, conservative and right-wing forces have gained ground across the region since 2025. Henning Suhr and Olaf Jacob explore the drivers behind this trend and why traditional political labels no longer fully apply. A key factor is the rise of a younger electorate. Unlike previous generations, many young voters prioritize practical outcomes over ideology, demanding economic opportunity, better infrastructure, and effective governance. This has opened space for new political actors, often blending populist messaging with appeals to a so-called “radical center.” At the same time, political communication has transformed. Social media now plays a decisive role in campaigns, rewarding visibility and provocative rhetoric. Externally, growing rivalry between the United States and China is reshaping the region’s strategic landscape. Latin American countries increasingly find themselves balancing economic ties with China against renewed U.S. engagement—highlighting the region’s rising geopolitical importance. The current issue of International Reports, the foreign policy magazine of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, is available online here: https://www.kas.de/en/web/auslandsinformationen/ausgaben/issues/-/content/the-centre-right-a-look-at-conservative-and-christian-democratic-parties-worldwide Find the full report by Henning Suhr, here: Latin America’s Party Landscape Shifts to the Right - International Reports - Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Subscribe to the print version of “International Reports” free of charge: https://www.kas.de/en/web/auslandsinformationen/subscribe-to-ir