Latin American Voters Move to the Right — When Given the Chance

Voters in Ecuador opt overwhelmingly for tough anti-crime measures, such as those in El Salvador.

AP/Fernando Vergara
Anti-government demonstrators at Bogota, Colombia, April 21, 2024. AP/Fernando Vergara

In the latest sign of a rightward swing of the pendulum in Latin America, voters in Ecuador opted overwhelmingly  for tough anti-crime measures, including joint army and police patrols against cocaine gangs. Traditionally a peaceful place,  Ecuador last year saw homicides almost double last year, to 7,994. In Sunday’s law and order vote, Ecuadorians looked for inspiration not to neighboring Colombia, but 1,300 miles up the Pacific Coast, to El Salvador. 

There tough tactics against drug gangs helped Nayib Bukele to easily win re-election in February and “super majority” control of  the legislature. By jailing 79,000 gang members, Mr. Bukele cut El Salvador’s homicide rate by 70 percent. By his calculation, El Salvador is the safest country in the Americas, after Canada.

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