Jara leads Chile polls
July 15, 2025
The latest Cadem poll from Chile, which will hold presidential elections on November 16 of this year, shows left-wing Jeannette Jara in the lead, with approximately 28% of voter intent, reports Infobae. Jara, member of the Communist Party and former Minister of Labor and Social Welfare under current President Gabriel Boric, will represent Chile’s left-wing parties, while more conservative candidates seek nominations individually.
Right-wing José Antonio Kast follows in the poll with 23%, and center-right Evelyn Matthei a distant third, with 9%. Rounding out the top 5 candidates were Franco Parisi with 7% and Johannes Kaiser with 5%. A June poll from Pulso Ciudadano also reflected the same ranking for all candidates, with Jara in the lead. Matthei, previously regarded as a top contender for the presidency, dropped 5 points with regards to June polls in a continuing trend of falling popularity.
If no candidate manages to obtain over 50% of the vote in the first round, the top two performers will head to a runoff on December 14. As Prensa Latina notes, in a hypothetical second round, Kast is likely to emerge as the victor regardless of whom he faces, though an earlier poll reflects a technical tie with Jara in a potential runoff.
Mexico
The U.S. Department of Commerce imposed a 17% tariff on tomatoes from Mexico, withdrawing from a 2019 agreement that had suspended such levies, reports the New York Times.
In Americas Quarterly, analysts opined on the recently-announced 30% United States tariffs on Mexico. “This is a David vs. Goliath situation—without even a slingshot,” says Heidi Jane Smith, while Diego Barroquín Bitar believes, “Shifting deadlines, unclear benchmarks, and intensifying pressure from Washington come at a cost.”
The Trump administration is not doing enough to curb arms trafficking to Mexico, write Elia Castillo Jiménez and Patricia San Juan Flores in El País, noting that “at least 74% of illicit weapons reached organized crime groups” through several main arms trafficking routes that originate in the United States.
Gentrification has been a major concern for Mexicans, who blame foreigners–mostly from the United States–for taking advantage of Mexico City’s relatively low cost of living and pushing locals out, according to the Guardian.
Argentina
Judge Loretta Preska upheld her 2023 ruling against Argentina that compelled the government to hand over 51% of its shares of state-owned oil company YPF–valued at $16.1 billion–to Burford Capital, reports MercoPress. However, she extended Argentina’s deadline by three days (now July 17), giving the government three days to appeal.
Inflation in June rose by 1.6%, just slightly above the 1.5% recorded last month, reports the Buenos Aires Times. Both the government and market analysts had predicted inflation to be closer to 2%.
Costa Rica
InSight Crime highlights how corruption and drug trafficking networks have operated with the support of high-level government officials, including former security minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez, currently facing extradition to the United States.
El Salvador
The NGO Socorro Jurídico Humanitario found that of the 427 people who have died in prison since the beginning of the state of exception in El Salvador, 94% “did not fit the profile of a gang member,” reports Ambito.
Colombia
At the initiative of President Gustavo Petro, Colombia and South Africa will co-host the Emergency Ministerial Conference on Palestine to address the situation in Gaza, reports Infobae. The conference will be held in Bogota from July 15-16.
Vicky Dávila, a journalist campaigning to become Colombia’s president in 2026, has the potential to be the dark horse in the race, given her constant polling among the top three candidates despite her lack of political experience, says Ricardo Ávila in Americas Quarterly.
Migration
“...The border crisis is, to a large extent, an asylum crisis, wrote Blas Nuñez-Neto, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy under former U.S. President Biden, in a New York Times op-ed. “Our broken immigration laws have increasingly incentivized economic migrants to claim that they fear persecution in order to start a lengthy administrative process that allows them to remain in the United States and work.”
Paraguay
Taiwanese President Lai (Ching-te) will visit Paraguay in 30 days, announced President Santiago Peña (DW). Paraguay is one of the only countries in the region to continue to recognize Taiwanese sovereignty.
Sanctions
In a new Chatham House report, Dr. Christopher Sabatini and Lydia Isard outline the unintended consequences of the increasing use of sanctions as a tool of foreign policy and economic statecraft, and offer solutions for how to improve them.
Haiti
According to the Miami Herald, the UN Security Council announced its political mission in Haiti would remain in operation for another 6.5 months, in contrast to previous 12-month extensions. The mission’s mandate is until January 31, 2026.
Bolivia
The Armed Forces and the national police will be present at Bolivia’s general elections, scheduled to be held on August 17, announced the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (Infobae).