As Uruguay Fights Crime, It Battles To Retain Its "Democratic Soul"

As Uruguay Fights Crime, It Battles to Retain Its ‘Democratic Soul’ URUGUAY Uruguay For years, Uruguay stood out in the region for failing to make headlines. Its voters chose center “safe” politics. Crime remained low. The economy was stable. Moderation was a key value. More recently, however, things have begun to take a turn, particularly regarding security, as increased drug trafficking, organized crime and economic jitters have compelled many Uruguayans to call for more drastic action. Crime in Uruguay remains relatively low for Latin America but left-wing Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi has been responding to the situation by channeling right-wing populist Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, who has imprisoned tens of thousands of alleged drug lords, gang leaders, thieves and murderers in a bid to clean up his nation. But in moderate, cautious Uruguay, where many remember the cruelty of the authoritarian government that ran the country from 1973 to 1985, that is a problem, analysts say. They add that the challenge for Orsi, unlike Bukele, is to secure the country while upholding civil liberties and protecting Uruguay’s “proud left-wing democracy.” “The question is whether those answers will help tear down democracy or build up the rule of law,” wrote Benjamin N. Gedan, deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American program, in Foreign Policy. Uruguay’s institutions may offer some protection, he added: “… the failure, so far, of ‘Bukelismo’ to take hold in Uruguay is also a vote of confidence in the capacity of the country’s democratic institutions to step up to the challenge of organized crime.” That is the institutional test. The political pressure is more immediate. A recent poll showed crime dominating public concern, with 49 percent of Uruguayans calling it the country’s top problem, far ahead of unemployment at 29 percent. Although still below the 64 percent peak recorded in August 2024, that figure has risen lately, while voters have grown less satisfied with the government’s response. Orsi’s popularity has dropped from 41 percent to 36 percent since he assumed office a year ago. Orsi has tried to show he is responding. He has proposed creating a Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, reforming the criminal code to strengthen security, hiring more police and prison guards, and installing 20,000 surveillance devices to help catch criminals, wrote MercoPress. The government says that crime declined in 2025, including a slight decrease in homicides – 369 for the year compared to 382 in 2024. Progress was less clear on the economy, however. Wages rose by less than 2 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, employment remained level but didn’t necessarily count recent large-scale business restructurings, and poverty remained level at around 18 percent. Fuel prices are also increasing due to market instability stemming from the US-Israeli war against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As he has struggled domestically, Orsi’s international policy has remained distinctly left-wing. His political coalition, Frente Amplio, recently condemned US President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance toward Cuba, for example. The country is also seeking to reduce the amount of debt it holds in US dollars. Instead, Orsi is seeking to issue debt in the country’s peso while trying to boost beef, soybean and other exports to China and other big buyers. Orsi signed a series of economic agreements with China last year. Orsi’s success or failure in tackling issues within his country will likely determine whether he can continue those diplomatic policies, analysts say. Meanwhile, Uruguayans say that they want things to change sooner rather than later. “On the streets, ordinary Uruguayans say life feels more precarious: more visible homelessness, more petty theft, more open drug consumption, and more scattered but spectacular acts of violence,” wrote the Latin American Post. “For a society that has long seen itself as calm and orderly, this was a jarring reminder that past success offers no protection.”

Hundreds of Thousands Of Argentines Protest Milei's Cuts to Public Universities

Hundreds of Thousands of Argentines Protest Milei’s Funding Cuts to Public Universities ARGENTINA Argentina Hundreds of thousands of Argentines took to the streets of Buenos Aires and other cities this week to protest President Javier Milei’s funding cuts to public universities. Argentina’s tuition-free public university system – established in 1949 and credited with producing five Nobel Prize laureates – is widely seen as a source of national pride. Protesters accused Milei’s libertarian government of trying to dismantle it through austerity measures aimed at reducing state spending. Demonstrators marched across the capital carrying banners reading “Milei, comply with the law” and “Without public universities, there is no future.” Organizers said more than 1.5 million people demonstrated across the country. Congress last year passed a law to fund universities’ operational costs and raise teacher salaries in line with inflation, but Milei vetoed it and later sought to repeal it in the 2026 budget. Lawmakers overruled both efforts, but the government has still refused to release the funds, prompting legal action and injunctions now under appeal before the Supreme Court. “Funding transfers to the university system have fallen by 45.6 percent from 2023 to the present,” said Franco Bartolacci, president of the National Interuniversity Council. The government has claimed that the law threatens its fiscal surplus and has portrayed the demonstrations as politically motivated. The protests came as Milei is also facing declining approval ratings amid falling wages, rising unemployment and corruption allegations surrounding his cabinet chief, Manuel Adorni. Some demonstrators carried signs targeting Adorni, with one reading, “How much does Adorni cost us?”

Peruvian Prosecutors Charge Presidential Candiadte Roberto Sanchez Ahead of Runoff Vote

Peruvian Prosecutors Charge Presidential Candidate Roberto Sánchez Ahead of Runoff Vote PERU Peru Peru’s top prosecutor filed financial crime charges against leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez, hours after election authorities confirmed he would advance to next month’s presidential runoff against conservative rival Keiko Fujimori. Prosecutors on Tuesday accused Sánchez, a candidate from the Juntos por el Perú party, of making false statements in administrative proceedings and filing false financial disclosures with the National Office of Electoral Processes related to campaign contributions from 2018 to 2020. Authorities are seeking a prison sentence of more than five years as well as his “permanent disqualification” from serving as president of the Juntos por el Perú party. Sánchez’s lawyer rejected the accusations, arguing that the party’s treasurer – not Sánchez – was responsible for the financial filings. The charges were announced shortly after Peru’s electoral commission said Sánchez and Fujimori would advance to the June 7 runoff vote. With nearly all ballots counted, Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, led with 17.17 percent of the vote, while Sánchez followed with 12 percent. Election authorities are expected to certify the final first-round results by Friday. The presidential race has unfolded amid weeks of political tension following a contentious first round marked by allegations of fraud, logistical problems and the resignation of Peru’s top electoral official, who is also under investigation. Despite the accusations, international observers said they found no concrete evidence of fraud in the April vote. Advertisement

Venezuela's Acting L:eader To Appear Before World Court Over Territorial Dispute with Guyana

Venezuela’s Acting Leader To Appear Before World Court Over Territorial Dispute With Guyana VENEZUELA/ GUYANA Venezuela Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez arrived in the Netherlands this week for hearings at the International Court of Justice to defend her country’s claim to a resource-rich region in western Guyana, part of a decades-old territorial dispute between the South American neighbors. The case at the United Nations’ top court centers on Essequibo, a nearly 62,000-square-mile territory rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources, located near a major offshore oil deposit. The dispute, rooted in the colonial era, has intensified in recent years following major oil discoveries offshore and repeated Venezuelan naval patrols near waters claimed by Guyana. Guyana brought the case to the ICJ in 2018 seeking confirmation that an 1899 arbitration ruling – which established the border largely in favor of what was then British Guiana – remains legally valid. Venezuela counters that the ruling was fraudulent and says a 1966 Geneva agreement effectively nullified it and requires bilateral negotiations instead. Rodríguez said Caracas has “demonstrated at every historical stage what our territory has meant since we were born as a Republic.” Guyana’s Foreign Minister Hugh Hilton Todd told judges on May 4 at the opening of the hearings that the dispute “has been a blight on our existence as a sovereign state from the beginning” and said 70 percent of Guyana’s territory was at stake. Venezuela has continued to reject the ICJ’s jurisdiction, despite participating in the proceedings. The court is expected to take months to issue a final and legally binding ruling.

Guyana Is Having A Petrostate Moment

As the Gulf War Causes Energy Woes Around the World, Guyana’s Having a Petrostate Moment GUYANA Guyana The US recently seized the oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean, saying the Guyanese-flagged vessel was carrying Iranian oil. Guyanese officials claimed the ship fabricated its registration. But the incident underscored Guyana’s rising profile as a player in the global oil trade. Following ExxonMobil’s massive 2015 discovery of over 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Stabroek Block, Guyana rapidly became one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, with crude production propelling unprecedented GDP growth. The Stabroek Block, about 120 miles offshore, is operated by ExxonMobil with Chevron and the Chinese state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and holds most of Guyana’s reserves. This newfound wealth now dominates Guyana’s economy, turning the country into one of the top oil producers per capita in just a few years. Its gross domestic product growth has been among the highest in the world over the last five years, according to Rice University’s Baker Institute. Guyana’s oil revenues are now on track to hit $33 billion annually, which is 75 percent more than forecasters expected before the US-Israeli war against Iran and the shutdown of oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Add the premium that Guyanese oil exporters receive from their main clients in Europe, and returns have surged far beyond earlier forecasts. But the boom is also pushing up costs at home. Guyana faces a significant risk of the resource curse, where abundant natural resources paradoxically lead to poor economic development, high income inequality and corruption. Even as Guyana exports crude, it remains exposed to global prices, importing refined fuels whose costs rise with international markets. Higher fuel prices feed into transport and electricity, pushing up food costs in a country reliant on imports, while surging demand outpaces housing and supply. As a result, inflation is rising even as growth accelerates, with oil accounting for three-quarters of GDP and the price shock set to deepen that reliance, said Radhika Bansal of Rystad Energy. “The cost of food and housing has increased by 75 percent since 2021. The oil industry poaches the best workers. … A flood of petro dollars has encouraged waste, if not outright clientelism,” the Economist wrote. To ease these pressures, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has announced cash grants of $100,000 to more than 240,000 people as part of his policy to share the wealth directly with citizens. Ali has also invested heavily in social programs. He plans to build a refinery so the country can produce its own fuel and potentially export finished products, arguing that national security requires Guyana to achieve energy and economic independence. Meanwhile, Guyana is locked in a long-running territorial dispute with Venezuela over the Essequibo region, a vast area administered by Guyana that is rich in natural resources and has gained fresh strategic importance with recent oil discoveries. “Strengthening military, economic, and diplomatic support for Guyana aligns with US national security interests given Guyana’s growing role as an energy producer, its strategic location, and its leadership among democratic nations in the Caribbean,” wrote the Council on Foreign Relations. For now, however, the domestic picture tells a different story. Despite the country’s oil boom, many Guyanese say the gains have yet to reach those on the margins. Data from the Inter-American Development Bank indicates that 58 percent of the country’s roughly 800,000 people live on less than $6.85 a day, with 32 percent surviving on under $3.65. Rajesh Singh, a 46-year-old painter and maintenance worker, said the oil boom has done little for ordinary people like him. “People must live comfortably now that we have big oil money, but it is clearly not happening yet,” he told the Guardian. “The big boys are looking after themselves too much.”

Peru's Electoral Court Requests Audit of April Elections

Peru’s Electoral Court Requests Audit of April Elections PERU Peru Peru’s electoral court this week requested a “comprehensive and exhaustive IT audit” of the April 12 general elections as uncertainty and mistrust persist over the incomplete vote count. The court, formally known as the National Jury of Elections (JNE) said Saturday the audit is necessary “to strengthen the transparency, integrity, and reliability of the election results.” The request comes weeks after the outcome of the first round remains unresolved, with 97.5 percent of votes counted and authorities still reviewing disputed tally sheets from more than 1 million ballots. The election was marred by logistical failures that forced officials to extend voting by an additional day, prompting accusations of fraud and manipulation. The disruptions led election chief Piero Corvetto to resign last month. He had acknowledged problems in the process but denied any wrongdoing. Authorities have since launched an investigation into the irregularities. Preliminary results show conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori leading the race, but it remains unclear who she will face in the June runoff. Left-wing congressman Roberto Sánchez and ultraconservative Rafael López Aliaga are locked in a tight contest for second place. The JNE said the planned audit would not interfere with the ongoing review of contested ballots. Officials had previously indicated that final results would be announced no later than May 15.

Colombia: Highway Blast Kills At Least 21

Colombia Highway Blast Kills At Least 21, Insurgents Blamed COLOMBIA Colombia A powerful bomb blast on a highway in Colombia killed at least 21 people and injured 56 others over the weekend, with authorities accusing guerrilla insurgents of the attack ahead of next month’s presidential elections. The explosion occurred Saturday on the Pan-American Highway in the southwestern Cauca department, a region long affected by armed conflict. Authorities said attackers blocked traffic using a bus and another vehicle before detonating an explosive device, leaving a crater more than 7,000 cubic feet in size. Security officials described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and called it Cauca’s “most brutal and ruthless attack against the civilian population in decades.” President Gustavo Petro blamed the bombing on Iván Mordisco, the alias used by Colombia’s most-wanted criminal and leader of a dissident faction of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Mordisco’s group operates in the southwestern region and is involved in illegal mining, extortion and drug trafficking. On Saturday, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez accused “Marlon” – a rebel leader affiliated with Mordisco’s group – of orchestrating the attack and offered a $1.4 million reward for information leading to his capture. The attack follows a series of recent incidents in the Cauca region, including a bomb attack on a military base in the city of Cali on Friday. The violence comes a little more than a month before the May 31 presidential election, when voters will choose a successor to Petro. Security has become a central issue in the campaign, particularly after the assassination last year of conservative frontrunner Miguel Uribe Turbay. Left-wing Sen. Iván Cepeda, a key figure behind Petro’s policy of negotiating with armed groups, currently leads in the polls. He is followed by right-wing candidates Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, both of whom have pledged a tougher approach to rebel groups. Police have increased protection for the three leading candidates after they received death threats.