Panama’s presidential election
Panamanians will vote for their country’s next president this Sunday, May 5. Former president Ricardo Martinelli was the initial frontrunner early on in the race, but was ultimately banned from running due to a money laundering conviction. A former minister under Martinelli, Jose Raul Mulino, replaced him on the ballot and currently leads polls with close to a third of voter intention, according to AS/COA. This more than doubles the runner-up in voter intention, with other candidates hovering around 10-15% at most. Mulino also has the lowest disapproval rating among the candidates. If polls are accurate, Mulino is thus a heavy favorite—there is no runoff election, and the winner is decided by plurality alone. However, “the race could be anyone’s to win,” says Al Jazeera, pointing to a high level of undecided voters. Mulino was almost kicked off the ballot for procedural reasons, but the Supreme Court rejected the challenge this morning, reports Washington Post.
Voters are primarily concerned about corruption, economics, and mining and environmental issues, according to Al Jazeera. That said, Panamanians have an increased desire for “radical change,” a notable shift from the years of more moderate political views attributed to a steady economy, says the Economist.
Reuters and Americas Quarterly profile five of the candidates. AQ places Mulino on the right side of the economic spectrum, explaining that he is viewed as a surrogate for Martinelli and that he “has said he would focus on employment, crime and access to potable water. He seeks to improve infrastructure and public transport. He has promised to expand Panama City’s metro system, a popular project of Martinelli’s presidency, to the nearby city of La Chorrera, and revamp maintenance of the country’s highways.”
Bolivia
“Indigenous communities have been threatened and attacked for protesting mining pollution, water scarcity and land use change in the community collective of Acre Antequera… While protesting earlier this month against the harmful impacts of mining, several women in the community said dynamite was thrown into their homes and their children weren’t allowed to attend school,” reports Mongabay.
“In 2023, Bolivia reached the highest level of deforestation in its history, with a primary forest loss of almost 500,000 hectares. Fueling this destruction are out-of-control forest fires, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, rampant gold mining, and the construction of airports and drug laboratories in the middle of natural parks and protected areas. The unrestrained plundering of timber and wildlife is also threatening the country’s biodiversity,” finds an InSight Crime and Igarapé Institute investigation.
Haiti
“A majority bloc within Haiti’s newly installed presidential council is doing an about-face on its selection of the country’s next prime minister, saying it will return to the original political agreement to choose the leader of the transitional government from a pool of applicants,” reports Miami Herald, noting that the move has garnered controversy and claims of corruption and political horse-trading—“the Montana Accord, a coalition of civil society groups whose representative on the council is among those with a vote, said that the four voting members had plotted against the population in the middle of the night.”
At USIP, Georges Fauriol outlines seven specific areas in which the US can support Haiti during its transitional period and beyond, though he notes that “no amount of support will be effective unless Haiti’s new leaders put aside personal ambition and partisan aspirations and cooperate.”
Donors have contributed less than 14% of the UN’s funding request to respond to the crisis in Haiti, reports Washington Post, profiling the efforts of some of the first responders on the ground.
Mexico
An Inter-American Dialogue report explores constitutional reform proposals by the Mexican government that “constitute a direct threat to judicial independence, violate international legal standards, and undermine democracy in Mexico.”
Ecuador
Invisibles interviews Crisis Group’s Glaeldys González Calanche on violence in Ecuador, explaining the importance of a comprehensive approach that addresses underlying causes such as inequality and corruption. Furthermore, “Almost none of these prisons have metal scanners, so any amount of weaponry can get in, including heavy weapons that even come from the armed forces,” González notes, explaining the vulnerability to violence in the country’s penitentiaries.
El Salvador
As one of three opposition leaders in El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly, Claudia Ortiz represents “the small cracks in Bukele’s popularity, focusing on the erosion of democratic checks and balances, the rising cost of living, and her staunch opposition to the government’s signature state of exception,” writes Chase Harrison at Americas Quarterly.
Regional
James Bosworth at the Latin America Risk Report covers stories of drought and water shortages across Latin America, arguing, “Latin America needs to address the immediate and building crises that these water shortages are creating. Even if the rest of the world surprisingly committed to net zero tomorrow, increasing urbanization and electricity demands would still stress water supplies in many countries.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Argentinian, Bolivian, and Peruvian counterparts to discuss China’s Belt and Road Initiative and deepen the Asian country’s ties across Latin America, says Nikkei.
“Latin America’s farmers are cashing in on hot cocoa prices: They aim to spend the windfall improving their technology to expand production,” reports The Economist, explaining that cocoa-growing areas escaped the worst of El Niño weather effects.
Venezuela
“The Venezuelan government is aiming to make up for the return of U.S. oil sanctions by raising tax revenues so it can increase spending on public workers and secure their support in July's elections,” reports Reuters.
Migration
The New Humanitarian narrates a reporter’s journey crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama. More than 500,000 migrants made the perilous trek last year alone, more than double 2022’s figure.