American authoritarian regimes close ranks with the Colombian right wing

Carolina Jiménez Martín[1]

Various analyses have been conducted on the election results of May 31st. However, the international dimension has been largely disregarded, obscuring the significant role of continental and global geopolitical dynamics in shaping domestic policy. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the political significance of the support received, as well as the domestic impact of these governments' policy implementation.

Abelardo de la Espriella's candidacy has received public support from presidents who align themselves with the core of authoritarian and reactionary projects in the Americas, namely: Donald Trump (USA), Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), Javier Milei (Argentina), and José Antonio Kast (Chile). These leaders embody a shared ideology characterized by security/militarism, social and fiscal discipline, tax breaks and incentives for large corporations, and anti-worker policies, among other things.

One of the congratulatory messages that has aroused the most concern in the country is that of the President of the United States: “(…) Abelardo would be enormously successful in leading Colombia to grow the economy, create jobs, promote trade, stop illegal immigration, take strong measures against crime and drugs, and restore law and order.”

However, a quick look at the record of these countries' governance belies their actual commitment to freedom, growth, and security. In the specific case of the Trump administration, it is worth highlighting its mediocre economic growth (not exceeding 1,6% annually), explained, among other things, by the negative impact of increased tariffs and soaring public debt, along with a rising cost of living and one of the highest inflation rates in recent years.[2]; a failed war against Iran; a migration policy that violates human rights and has already claimed the lives of several people.

In El Salvador, various organizations have denounced the systematic violation of human rights, the electoral autocracy embodied in the figure of the president, and the restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and academic freedom. In Argentina, the situation is very dramatic. In this regard, 28 months after the economic adjustment, economists Gambina and Castiglioni point out that the main beneficiaries are large corporations linked to agribusiness, the energy sector, and finance; and, conversely, the losers are the broad segments of the population, "faced with the difficulties in sustaining the downward trend in inflation, the deepening recession that fuels business closures and unemployment, along with the decline in consumer spending."[3]In addition to the above, the reported corruption cases of Manuel Adorni (chief of staff) and Karina Milei (president's sister), the disregard for the law on university funding, and the increase in femicide cases stand out.

This bloc of American authoritarian regimes clearly demonstrates: their realignment with a declining hegemon seeking to regain lost ground in the region in the face of China's growing presence; their adherence to a political-economic project serving large corporations—Trump's delegation on his trip to China is illustrative in this regard (among the CEOs accompanying him were Elon Musk (Tesla), Tim Cook (Apple), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), and Dina Powell McCormick (Meta)); their opposition to the recognition and implementation of social rights won through the historical struggles of the people; and their construction of a narrative of internal enemies. All of this is having an impact on democratic life and the living conditions of ordinary people in the Americas, providing concrete evidence of the risks and threats to democratic life in Colombia.

[1] Member of the CLACSO Working Group “Crisis and the World Economy”.

[2] The Economist presents a brief analysis of the first 500 days of the Trump administration. https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker/economy

[3] Julio C. Gambina and Lucas Castiglioni “28 months of adjustment and reactionary restructuring”.  https://www.instagram.com/p/DXbwKm0EWnA/