Some analysts are struggling to understand why left-wing politicians are on the defensive in South America.
The recent elections in Argentina and Venezuela have left some observers in shock since they hadn’t anticipated a right-wing victory. It was assumed that Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s political successor, Daniel Scioli, would win the Argentine Presidency, just as it was believed that the United Socialist Party would come out on top in Venezuela’s elections. Both prognoses proved to be incorrect, leaving some analysts puzzled about what they had misjudged. Understanding what happened in Argentina and Venezuela is of urgent importance because Brazil seems to be on the cusp of undergoing the same shift (albeit via a possible impeachment), with all three countries experiencing similar ‘warm-up‘ phases which suggests that a larger political process is underway.
