South America articles on Democracy Chronicles

News about the struggle for better democracy across North and South America (not including the United States) in this highly diverse and quickly changing region. Also see our World Democracy section or our articles on Central America or on giants Brazil and Mexico.

Ecuador confirms granting citizenship to WikiLeaks’ Assange

January 11, 2018 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Citizenship granted to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been sheltering at its London embassy for 5 years to avoid arrest

Battle Over Presidential Term Limits in Ecuador Escalating

January 5, 2018 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Ex-president Rafael Correa returned to Ecuador from Belgium on Friday to lead the campaign against a referendum called by the government effectively to prevent his re-election. Videos posted on Twitter showed an ebullient Correa addressing cheering supporters from atop an open truck at the head of a cavalcade of vehicles shortly after his arrival in […]

Peru’s ex-dictator Fujimori released after controversial pardon

January 5, 2018 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Peru’s ex-president Alberto Fujimori was wheeled out of a Lima hospital late Thursday a free man following a controversial pardon by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. A frail-looking Fujimori, 79, held up a hand to wave to supporters as aides rolled him out the main entrance of Lima’s Centenario Clinic in a wheelchair, before he was […]

Venezuela opposition aims to unify behind one candidate in 2018 poll

December 30, 2017 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Venezuela’s fractured opposition said Friday it planned to drop competing agendas to unify behind a single candidate in the 2018 presidential elections in which leader Nicolas Maduro is seeking a new mandate. “We promise to boost our unity… and will proceed with selecting a single candidate,” the main grouping, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition, […]

A big year for Latin American elections in 2018

December 29, 2017 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Next year will be a big election year for Latin America, a region where democracy in many countries is only decades young, and where the shadow of corruption stretches wide and long. Half of the population across the region is being called to cast ballots. Here are the main points of note concerning the polls […]

On Alberto Fujimori: Peru’s pardoned ex-dictator

December 25, 2017 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for corruption and rights abuses, has been pardoned

Lawmakers Start Peru Impeachment Proceedings Against President

December 16, 2017 by DC Editors Leave a Comment

Lawmakers in Peru have initiated impeachment proceedings against President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski over alleged corruption. Opposition lawmakers filed the motion against the president Friday, saying he was morally unfit to lead the country after he resisted calls to resign over the alleged corruption. Twenty-seven of 130 members of Peru’s Congress approved launching the process to […]