Latin America responds to Trump assassination attempt
July 15, 2024
At a campaign rally on Saturday afternoon, a lone gunman opened fire, hitting former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump in the ear and raising important security concerns. Leaders across Latin America were quick to condemn the violence; both Brazil’s Current President Lula da Silva and former president Bolsonaro expressed their support for Trump, with the former calling for all defenders of democracy to “vehemently repudiate” the attack, while Bolsonaro drew comparisons to his own stabbing in 2018 during a campaign event. Mexico’s AMLO called the attack “irrational and inhumane,” and the Secretary General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro wrote on X that the organization condemns the attack “in the strongest terms.” Argentina’s Milei went so far as to blame the “international left” for the attack, arguing on X that the left “is ready to destabilize democracies and promote violence to screw itself to power.”
In World Politics Review, James Bosworth recounts two recent political assassination attempts in the region - one against Jair Bolsonaro and one against Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - comparing timelines, motivations, and political effects in an effort to predict the impact the recent shooting at a Trump rally will have on his campaign. “...When U.S. voters cast their ballots come November, this weekend’s assassination attempt against Trump will be just one of many considerations that voters weigh, not the defining feature of the campaign,” he says.
Martín Schapiro at Cenital mentions a few of the various recent acts of political violence in the U.S., including Gabby Giffords, Steve Scalise, and Paul Pelosi, and notes that ever-growing extreme partisanship is making this kind of political violence more and more expected in the country.
Argentina wins Copa América amid security failures
Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 last night at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in a thrilling final to become the most decorated national team in Latin America, boasting 16 Copa América titles. Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez scored the game’s only goal in overtime, handing a final victory to Angel Di María, who had announced the Copa América would be his final tournament with the albiceleste. It was also likely one of the final games with Argentina for captain Lionel Messi, who left the pitch in tears with an ankle injury.
From a security standpoint, however, the match offered more questions than answers. The combination of fans attempting to enter the stadium without tickets, a lack of security preparations regarding entry to the stadium, and extreme heat resulted in chaos and an 82-minute delay to the start of the match (Buenos Aires Times). A BBC video captured fans without tickets crawling through air vents to get into the stadium, while the Athletic recounts the separation of families at the gates and mid-match stadium ejections.
The events called into question U.S. preparedness as the next host of the 2026 World Cup (alongside Mexico and Canada), where 48 teams will come to the northern hemisphere to compete. Fans and pundits were quick to place blame for the chaos, with many pointing to the organization - or lack thereof - by the CONMEBOL, soccer’s governing body in South America, says Forbes. Though these incidents were the most visible, they joined other organizational issues earlier in the tournament, including clashes between the Uruguayan team and Colombian fans, as well as lack of medical attention or preparedness for referees and fans (Reuters).
Others also blamed CONCACAF (CONMEBOL’s northern counterpart) and the United States, who as hosts were responsible for overseeing the terms laid out by CONMEBOL and for the overall organization of the tournament, and criticized their profound misunderstanding of Latin American soccer culture. Though ultimately the event was able to continue and the worst outcomes were avoided, scenes from outside the stadium served as a wake-up call for the organizers of the World Cup in 2 years’ time, and the Club World Cup next year.
Peru
Alberto Fujimori, former president of Perú, will seek his third term as president in the 2026 elections despite his failing health and his numerous critical convictions, reports MercoPress. His daughter Keiko, a former presidential candidate herself, will not be part of his ticket.
Venezuela
Edmundo González Urrutia, the chosen candidate of Venezuela’s opposition following the banning of their two previous choices, is leading in the polls. He wants to build “a country of prosperity, democracy, and peace” if he is elected, notes the Guardian.
In the Latin America Advisor, experts discuss potential outcomes of a negotiation between the U.S. and the current Maduro regime, ahead of the country’s presidential elections on July 28. The government is attempting to “tilt the playing field,” argues Tamara Taraciuk Broner, while Michael Shifter believes that “The talks are unlikely to have much impact in the short term.”
The uncertainty of the outcome of Venezuela’s upcoming elections does not translate into an automatic loss for Maduro, writes Joshua Collins for Pirate Wire Services, believing Maduro will not just step aside in the event of an opposition victory.
Argentina
In the Buenos Aires Times, Marcelo Garcia questions whether President Milei’s economic theory, that the fiscal deficit is at the root cause of Argentina’s economic problems, is the true problem. Amid a sharp need for additional hard currency, Milei might find himself reverting to policies he has criticized the “caste” for implementing, including another devaluation or a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Beginning today (Monday), the central bank will sell U.S. dollars in Argentina’s parallel foreign exchange market, according to Economy Minister Luis Caputo. The parallel exchange market has a difference of almost 500 pesos of the value of the dollar, compared to the government’s official rate (held in place due to currency controls), explains the Buenos Aires Times.
Inflation rose 4.6% in June, up from the 4.2% recorded in May, reports AP News. The new rate halts the 5-month trend of a steadily decreasing rise in inflation.
Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies approved the Constitutional Amendment Proposal (PEC of Amnesty) last week, lowering requirements for political parties and for minority candidates - particularly black candidates - to enter politics, reports Folha. The PEC, which now goes to the Senate, “aims to overturn the Supreme Court decision that obliges parties to distribute the billion-dollar campaign fund proportionally to the number of white and black (black and brown) candidates,” in place since 2020.
Cuba
John McIntire and Ricardo Herrero assess the voracity of Cuba’s private sector in Americas Quarterly, noting the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises alongside self-employed entrepreneurs, operating outside of the government’s grasp.
Colombia
InSight Crime attributes Colombia’s high rates of deforestation to criminal activity, highlighting how ex-FARC mafia became involved in activities such as illegal mining and logging, which in turn hurt the country’s environment.
La Silla Vacía highlights the swift decrease in Colombia’s biodiversity, and calls for increased societal and government action to help restore the country’s rich environment.
Chile
President Gabriel Boric is set to visit Paraguay tomorrow, in what would be his first visit to the country, according to La Tercera. He will meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña for the Chile-Paraguay business meeting in Paraguay’s central bank, where the two will discuss commercial and economic relations between their countries.