BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) 鈥� Trump-endorsed outsider will take the reins as Colombia’s president in August, making the South American nation the latest country in Latin America to have chosen more conservative leadership.
De la Espriella campaigned on a tough-on-crime approach, which includes proposals like canceling peace talks with Colombian rebel groups and He was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump who described the lawyer and business owner, nicknamed 鈥淭he Tiger,鈥� as the candidate who could restore law and order in Colombia.
Here is a look at the in recent years:
Argentina chooses libertarian to tackle inflation
an economist and television commentator nicknamed 鈥淭he Lion,鈥� won Argentina鈥檚 presidential election in November 2023 by promising to slash government spending and tackle the South American nation鈥檚 decades-long inflation problem. The libertarian defeated the ruling Peronist movement.
During his tenure, Milei has stopped the nation鈥檚 central bank from printing money to finance the government deficit and has cut government spending by firing civil servants and halting investment in public infrastructure programs, while reducing subsidies for public utility bills.
Argentina’s inflation has fallen from 211% in 2023 to 32% in 2025. However some have blamed Milei’s austerity policies for decreasing the living standards of many Argentines, including public sector workers.
Ecuador reelects leader that favors military
Daniel Noboa, a member of one of Ecuador鈥檚 wealthiest families, was reelected to a four- year term in April 2025, winning the election with 56% of the vote. The in coastal cities overrun by drug gangs fighting over the control of ports and drug trafficking routes.
But the strategy has not substantially reduced homicide rates. The government also has been criticized for human rights abuses, such as extrajudicial executions.
Under Noboa鈥檚 watch, Ecuador鈥檚 military has started to conduct joint operations against drug traffickers with the U.S. Noboa also pushed for the reopening of a U.S. military base in Ecuador, but the proposal was struck down in a referendum last year.
Honduras goes back to conservative party
Nasry Asfura, a real estate investor and former city mayor of the National Party narrowly won the presidential election in Honduras in November, defeating his closest rival by less than a percentage point.
Asfura, who belongs to the same party as former President Juan Orlando Hern谩ndez who was was endorsed by the U.S. president, who threatened to cut off aid to the small Central American country if Nasfura was not elected. Under Asfura鈥檚 administration, Honduras has received dozens of deportees from third countries through an agreement that was signed with the U.S. in early 2025, most of them Guatemalan nationals.
Chile’s Kast defeats the progressive movement
In December, Jos茅 Antonio Kast, a conservative and won Chile鈥檚 presidential election with 58% of the vote, defeating a progressive government that had been in power for the previous four years.
In his campaigns, Kast capitalized on fears over increasing crime rates in Chile and said he would expel migrants from countries like Venezuela and Haiti that had been working in Chile without residency permits. One of his first moves after taking office has been to expand a trench along Chile鈥檚 borders with Peru and Bolivia in a bid, his government says, to stop drug trafficking and migration.
Kast鈥檚 government has recently faced protests over increasing unemployment and budget cuts that have affected public servants.
Costa Rica proposes tough-on-crime approach
Laura Fern谩ndez, an economy minister under conservative ex-President Rodrigo Chaves, with 48% of the vote, defeating her closest rival by 15 percentage points and surpassing the 40% of votes needed to avoid a runoff election.
During her campaign, Fern谩ndez proposed tough-on-crime measures, including a state of exception that would enable police to arrest suspects without warrants, and said she would build a mega prison modeled after El Salvador鈥檚 notorious CECOT penitentiary.
Fern谩ndez鈥檚 government has received several flights with migrants from third countries deported by the U.S. as she complies with an agreement that was signed by her predecessor last year. In June, one of these flights had migrants from China, Vietnam, Colombia and Azerbaijan.
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