Story perspectives

Right-Wing Parties Capture Chile, Costa Rica, Panama; Dominate Region

6/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Right-wing parties will control every major South American economy except Brazil by end-2026.
José Antonio Kast, presidential candidate, secured Chile’s presidency with 58.2% of the vote on December 14, 2025.
Laura Fernández, presidential candidate, won Costa Rica’s presidency with 48.5% and a 31-seat legislative majority on February 1, 2026.
Federico de la Espriella, presidential candidate, defeated Iván Cepeda 49.7% to 48.7% on June 21, 2026, a 250,000-vote margin, pledging to halt the peace agreement.

History

Historical Context

After the 2016 impeachment of left-wing President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s Congress shifted right, paving the way for Social Liberal Party candidate Jair Bolsonaro to win the 2018 presidential race with 55.13% of the vote. His victory marked a key moment in the broader mid-2010s conservative wave that also brought right-leaning leaders to power in Argentina, Chile and elsewhere.

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Story summary

Right-wing parties will control every major South American economy except Brazil by end-2026.
José Antonio Kast, presidential candidate, secured Chile’s presidency with 58.2% of the vote on December 14, 2025.
Laura Fernández, presidential candidate, won Costa Rica’s presidency with 48.5% and a 31-seat legislative majority on February 1, 2026.
Federico de la Espriella, presidential candidate, defeated Iván Cepeda 49.7% to 48.7% on June 21, 2026, a 250,000-vote margin, pledging to halt the peace agreement.

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