Support slips for Latin America’s new right-wing leaders

Support for Latin America's new right-wing leaders is waning as polls show a decline in approval ratings for recently elected conservative leaders across the region. Peru's conservative President Keiko Fujimori and Colombian counterpart Abelardo de la Espriella have seen their ratings fall, according to Ipsos polls. In Chile, 25% of President Jose Antonio Kast's supporters regret backing him, while Argentine President Javier Milei has hit record lows in popularity.

Michael Shifter, a senior fellow at The Inter-American Dialogue think tank, suggests that voters may have raised unrealistic expectations, as quick results are often impossible to achieve. However, the backlash is not necessarily ideological, as even left-wing governments may face similar frustrations. The AmericasBarometer survey found weak support for leaders in eight US allies, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, and Paraguay.

In Bolivia, voters have already ousted the long-ruling socialists amid the country's worst economic crisis in 40 years, blaming the president for failing to end crippling fuel shortages. Similarly, in Peru, voters are frustrated by the lack of results in addressing crime and insecurity. Despite Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's success in driving crime rates to historic lows through a crackdown on gangs, Shifter doubts that his success could be replicated elsewhere in the region.