How divided and polarized is politics across Latin America? Is there something new and unusual that is happening mutually in all countries, like the fact that people are more politically aware, much more critical and ignorant enough not to change their opinion about their ideals no matter what their “political gods” do or don’t do?
I personally hate to imagine that we only have two options to put in the presidential office, and I wish all these politicians would get inside each other and create a megazord!
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The Right was polarized since the Cold War, Piñera had gotten them to tone it down a lot, but he lost most of his influence by the end of his second term and then died, so Pinochetismo is back.
The left got polarized in the 2010s, now it shifted centerwards as it had to compromise on everything during Boric’s term.
We may see a rightwing Government in the future and it’ll be of Pinochet supporters, yuck.
Here there’s no polarization at all, president Sheinbaum has 80+ also rating across all kinds of demographics and her movement is getting more supporters every day.
Of course there’s going to be the usual loud minority saying otherwise, that’s expected and welcome in a democracy, but in reality something catastrophic would have to happen to divide the opinion once again, but not even Trump and his antics seem to disturb this trend, quite the contrary.
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Mexico is back to the cold war politics of massive political party hugging everyone via the President’s speeches with some nationalism and local politics of everyone wearing the ruling party’s colors.
The opposition is divided between international minded people and State identity politics(who usually side with the opposition, but in my opinion they take it due to no other choice). There is a religious aspect but nowhere near strong like Brazil ot USA and if anything the ruling government uses religion too.
We’re in an authoritarian dictatorship so only collaborating “opposition” is allowed. Anything else is persecuted, jailed, killed, exiled.
In one way or another, although over here I think its a greater problem of thinking too much about the politician rather than the policies. The right and left have a general box of things they think they are in favour or against but most don’t put enough thought to know where they are, why, and where they want to get.
I don’t think that’s a particularly latin-american thing. Politics has been polarized throughout most of modern democratic history, because people have different interests based on their material realities, and values that can’t be reconciled. In it’s most extreme form, it has devolved in civil wars or insurrections, and our continent is filled with stories like that.
What was unusual was the period of relative consensus around liberal norms between the 90s and early 2000s in some of our countries. What was read at the time as our societies growing beyond the factionalism of the past has now shown to me just a blip in our histories, sustained by a frail economic boom. Now we’re back to politics as usual.
Still, as long as democratic norms and civil liberties are upheld, I believe that democratic societies have the means to course correct over time, and choose policies that will improve the lives of most people.