News of populism

Making the most of failure

19-09-2020 10:01 Argentina has long been in the hands of individuals who reach power by attributing the country’s woes to the stupidity of their political rivals, but who once in office do not have the slightest idea of how to improve matters.

by James Neilson

INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO

Ricardo López Murphy: ‘Fernández inherited a much better situation than Macri did’

15-08-2020 09:49 Veteran politician, former economy and defence minister and 2003 presidential candidate Ricardo López Murphy on reform, inheritance, the deficit and why the coronavirus pandemic will produce the most severe recession in economic history.

by Jorge Fontevecchia

Bloomberg

Chilean lawmakers want to raise US$6 billion taxing the ultra rich

13-08-2020 18:52 Legislators from the Communist Party to the Christian Democrats submitted a bill that would set a one-time, 2.5 percent levy on individuals with more than US$22 million in wealth. Government opposes proposal.

EDITORIAL

Debt deal – more relief than belief

08-08-2020 09:22 The quality of this haircut falling on interest rates way above recent levels rather than capital deserves praise, as does abandonment of the absurd three-year grace period exempting this administration from any payment.

Global Pandemic

In struggle against pandemic, populist leaders fare poorly

23-07-2020 16:03 “Fact-denying populism is being shown its limits," says German Chancellor Angela Merkel in regards to the high number of Covid-19 cases concentrated in populist led nations.

Bloomberg - Opinion

Brazil hits a wall and takes Latin America with it

30-04-2020 17:38 Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has just led his country, and indeed all of Latin America, to the end of a long cycle, as the coronavirus outbreak sparks a shadow over the continent’s future.

BLOOMBERG - OPINION

Coronavirus reopens fiscal debate for Brazil and Latin America

18-03-2020 15:08 Even if most Latin American countries have yet to manifest the full brunt of the pandemic, economic contagion is already at hand.

by Mac Margolis

bloomberg

Bannon hosts populist banquet, with Bolsonaro’s son and Farage on guestlist

28-02-2020 14:36 Steve Bannon, an architect of Trump’s 2016 victory, hosted dinner for international populist leaders on Wednesday night. Briton Nigel Farage, French MEP Jérôme Rivière, Brazilian Eduardo Bolsonaro and Mexican presidential hopeful Eduardo Verastegui were among the attendees.

AS I SEE IT

The fruits of populism

04-01-2020 07:27 Unless Alberto Fernández succeeds in turning the economy around within six months or so, the country could find itself back where it was in late 2001 and early 2002: flat broke, with a huge number of people previously unacquainted with real poverty barely getting enough to eat and irate foreign creditors banging at the door.

by James Neilson

Protests in Colombia

Iván Duque to meet with protest leaders in Colombia

26-11-2019 12:50 The meeting with the National Strike Committee -- which brings together unions, indigenous people, students and opposition parties -- will form part of the national dialogue Duque launched on Sunday to address corruption, economic inequality and other woes.

Protests in Colombia

First protester dies in Colombia unrest as marches press on

26-11-2019 12:13 A high school student died two days after being hit in the head by a projectile reportedly fired by riot police.

Protests in Colombia

Colombia president opens national dialogue after protests

25-11-2019 17:51 The leader gathered mayors and governors from around the country to launch an initiative that he said will focus on six main topics: economic growth with equality; corruption; education; improvements in life for areas hard hit by the nation's long civil conflict; the environment; and strengthened government institutions.

Demonstrations in Colombia

Populist riots, largely peaceful, leave three dead in Colombia

22-11-2019 20:13 This wave of protests across Latin America defies easy categorisation and it remains unclear if Colombia's will persist.

MACRI'S NEXT MOVE?

Macri ponders post-presidential role as global anti-populist leader

20-11-2019 22:02 Argentina's outgoing leader is not just convinced he has a role to play as opposition leader, he's also looking farther afield.

by Gabriel Ziblat

ELECTION 2019

Embattled farmers eye presidential vote with apprehension

16-10-2019 19:38 Farmers are bracing for the possible return of interventionist policies if the Peronist ticket headed by Alberto Fernández and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner wins the October 27 ballot.

EUROPEAN POLITICS

Curtains for Italy's first post-war populist government

29-08-2019 12:56 The end of Italy's first post-war government experiment with far-right populists marks a stunning defeat for League leader Matteo Salvini, but his political career is far from over.

Mercosur summit

Piñera, Macri discuss dangers of populist 'snake charmers' in LatAm

18-07-2019 09:09 Mauricio Macri shares the stage with his Chilean par Sebastián Piñera at the Mercosur summit to discuss politics in Latin America.

AS I SEE IT

Put the blame on Argentina

22-06-2019 08:50 People who are worried by the recent proliferation of “populist” movements in Western countries are prone to see Juan Domingo Perón lurking in the background. Donald Trump has been compared to him and so too has the new Italian “strongman” Matteo Salvini.

by James Neilson