Latin America in Focus Latin America in the Spotlight in 2026
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Dec 18, 2025 Gerardo de Icaza, OAS electoral monitoring director with decade-long mission leadership, and Brenda Estefan, IPADE international relations professor, discuss looming 2026 presidential contests. They probe electoral security and observer threats, polarization undermining credibility, AI risks and practical uses in elections, and shifting U.S.-Mexico-China strategic and trade dynamics.
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Bolivia's Turn May Renew U.S. Ties
- Bolivia's unexpected political shift signals a possible renewal of ties with the U.S. after decades of chill.
- Karin Zissas highlights Rodrigo Paz's win as a marker for reengagement in 2026.
U.S. Reasserts Hemisphere-Centered Strategy
- The U.S. is re-centering the hemisphere with a Trump-era security and trade strategy that conditions benefits on geopolitical alignment.
- Tony Frangie Mawad warns this could either reinforce Maduro or accelerate a negotiated transition in Venezuela.
Geopolitics Now Drives Trade Access
- Geopolitics has become the new currency for trade access, with preferential deals tied to alignment with Washington.
- Brenda Estefan highlights Mexico-China relations as a key test of how U.S. pressure will reshape regional economic ties.