Andean Region Archives - Americas Quarterly

Colombian presidential candidates Iván Cepeda and Abelardo De La Espriella

REACTION: Colombia Heads Toward a Polarizing Runoff

Voters shook up the political landscape, setting up a runoff between right-wing firebrand Abelardo De La Espriella and leftist Iván Cepeda.

Demonstrators during a rally against President Rodrigo Paz in La Paz on May 25, 2026.

Bolivia’s Crisis Is About More Than Evo Morales

Current unrest reflects fractured political alliances and broader social changes, with existential implications for President Rodrigo Paz.

A Citgo Petroleum sign at Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts, December 2025

Venezuela’s Citgo and the Strategic Stakes for U.S. Policy

Washington should adopt a strategic framework that recognizes the role the oil refiner plays in geopolitical security and regional stability.

AQ Podcast | Colombia’s High-Stakes Election

Sergio Guzmán on Colombia’s surge in violence and the upcoming May 31 presidential election.

Voters enter a polling station during the second day of voting in Lima on April 13, 2026.

Peru’s Chaotic Election — and Some Reasons for Hope

While the country’s politics remain in poor shape, the June 7 runoff offers a new opportunity to rethink the future.

Colombian presidential candidate Iván Cepeda in Bogotá on March 8

In Colombia’s Election, Two Conservatives Fight to Face Cepeda

The race between De La Espriella and Valencia will likely define a potential presidential runoff.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz during a press conference in Brasília on March 16

Bolivia’s Reform Agenda Is Moving, but Slowly

President Rodrigo Paz promised to turn the country around, yet he is shying away from his own agenda.

Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodríguez at Miraflores Palace in Caracas in April.

Normalization Without Transition: Delcy Rodríguez’s Playbook

Venezuela’s greatest risk is not the absence of a political transition, but the simulation of one, an expert writes.

AQ Podcast | Peru Election: The End of Stability?

Former Finance Minister Luis Miguel Castilla on Peru’s contested vote, and whether the country’s economic resilience can survive it.

Showcasing a Venezuelan Star of Conceptual Art

An exhibition in New York City displays Claudio Perna’s radical 20th-century experiments in mixed media.

Voters wait at a Lima polling station on Monday, April 13, after logistical problems led Peru's elections authorities to extend voting to a second day.

A New Test for Peru’s Economic Resilience

A runoff between Fujimori and Sánchez, if confirmed, will put the country’s famous macroeconomic stability at risk, a former finance minister writes.

An election worker assists a voter in Chiguata, Peru, on April 12.

REACTION: Peru Braces for a Polarizing Fujimori-Sánchez Runoff

Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez appear headed to a high-stakes runoff on June 7 after the first-round vote indicated critical new dynamics.

A woman walks near the Punta Cardón oil refinery in Falcón state, Venezuela, in January.

Venezuela’s Economy Is Accelerating, But Will Depend on More Than Oil

Pending reforms will determine whether momentum is sustainable under interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

AQ Podcast | Understanding Delcy Rodríguez

Juan Forero, South America Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal, on whether Delcy Rodríguez is managing a real change in Venezuela or just buying time.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks in Bogotá on March 8.

The Resurgence of Gustavo Petro and the Colombian Left

Colombia’s president has seen his popularity rise, increasing the odds that the left could win May’s presidential election.