A roundup of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024
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In 2024, the American continent saw significant presidential elections while grappling with internal socioeconomic challenges. At the same time, countries across the region showed increasing solidarity with Palestine, recognized it as a sovereign state, and condemned the genocide committed by "Israel."
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An approach to Latin America and the Caribbean during 2024
The American continent saw pivotal presidential elections in 2024, with notable events including the return of Donald Trump to the White House, Nicolas Maduro's reelection in Venezuela, and Claudia Sheinbaum making history as Mexico's first female president.
Domestic challenges, such as rising violence and insecurity, significantly impacted the economies of these nations over the past year.
Six Latin American countries held presidential elections in 2024. The first half of the year saw elections in El Salvador (February 4), Panama (May 5), the Dominican Republic (May 19), and Mexico (June 2). In the second half, Venezuela (July 28) and Uruguay (October 27) followed, culminating in the United States elections on November 5.
The region also witnessed a year marked by solidarity with Palestine.
Venezuela: A complex electoral scenario
Venezuela's presidential election unfolded in a challenging political landscape, with opposition boycotts questioning the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's leadership.
Maduro, representing the Gran Polo Patriótico, won with 6.4 million votes (51.95%), defeating nine other candidates. His closest rival, Edmundo González of the opposition Plataforma Unitaria Democrática, garnered 5.3 million votes (43.18%).
In response, far-right factions attempted a coup to undermine Maduro's victory, inciting violence and chaos to destabilize the nation. Funded by drug money, criminal groups called "comanditos" and foreign paramilitaries carried out attacks on public transport, Chavista citizens, and Venezuelan institutions. This was accompanied by a brutal hate campaign and an unprecedented wave of cyber attacks, with 30 million attacks recorded per minute on July 28 alone.
The international community was divided: some, including the EU's Josep Borrell and governments in the U.S., Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina, refused to recognize the results, while others, such as China, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Russia, offered strong support.
Despite the coup attempts, the Venezuelan people mobilized in the streets in defense of democracy, peace, and dialogue, sending a powerful message of unwavering support for democratic institutions.
The opposition leader Edmundo González still insists, from Madrid, that he will assume the presidency of Venezuela, accompanied by María Corina Machado. One in exile and the other in hiding, both politicians thus contradicted the will of the people who voted for Nicolas Maduro as president of the Bolivarian Republic for the period 2025-2031 .
Electoral panorama in El Salvador, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Panama and Uruguay
President Nayib Bukele was re-elected in El Salvador by a wide margin. As head of the Nuevas Ideas Party, he obtained 2,701,725 ​​valid votes, equivalent to 84.65 % of the total votes cast.
However, his appointment was surrounded by controversy due to its unconstitutionality: the Salvadoran Constitution prohibits presidents from seeking a new consecutive five-year term.
Mexico's Morena Party ensured its continuity for the 2024-2030 period with the historic election of Claudia Sheinbaum as president.
With almost 35 million 924 thousand 519 votes obtained, which represented 59.76 percent, she became the first woman to assume the position and the most-voted candidate in the recent history of the country, with a huge advantage over her rivals.
In the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader was also re-elected for another four-year term with 57.45 percent of the votes. The president, founder of the Modern Revolutionary Party, obtained more than 2.5 million of the 4.4 million votes cast.
The presidents-elect in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico not only won by wide margins of over 50% but also secured significant majorities in their respective congresses.
The same did not happen in Panama, where the candidate of the Realizing Goals Party, José Raúl Mulino, was declared president with only 34.23 percent of the total valid votes.
After five years of centre-right National Party rule, Uruguay saw the return of the left-wing Frente Amplio to the presidency with Yamandú Orsi, who secured 49.8% of the votes in the runoff. Orsi now faces the challenge of addressing pressing social demands while working to build consensus in a fragmented parliamentary landscape.
The US will have its first president convicted of crimes
The US presidential race was a showdown between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, who entered the race after Joe Biden withdrew amid low popularity and doubts about his ability to serve a second term. In a highly polarized election, Trump emerged victorious with 312 electoral votes, defeating Harris, who secured 226.
Trump became the first president in over a century to be re-elected in non-consecutive terms and the first White House occupant to be convicted of crimes, with several pending cases. His major campaign donors have already secured positions in his cabinet, making it the most exclusive and expensive in recent history, with at least eight members and their partners contributing over $37 million—a record-breaking sum.
He returns to office with a campaign which tackles immigration and economic issues, promising to raise tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico as one of his first economic actions after his inauguration on January 25.
Additionally, he announced plans to sign an executive order for the largest deportation operation in US history, pardon those convicted in the Capitol attack, and eliminate policies aimed at combating climate change. Trump also vowed revenge against political opponents and a deep cut to what he calls the “deep state” for not supporting his agenda.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to begin, renewing his warning that he is open to withdrawing the US from NATO.
Regarding the Middle East, Trump warned that there would be "hell to pay" if Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip were not released before his inauguration.
With Republicans now controlling both houses of Congress and a Supreme Court dominated by conservative judges—three of whom were appointed by Trump—his ability to deliver on his promises looks increasingly likely. In his victory speech, the Republican vowed to govern under a simple motto of keeping promises.
Latin America; a force of solidarity with Palestine
Meanwhile, Latin America emerged as a leading force for solidarity with Palestine in 2024. Unlike many other regions, a number of Latin American presidents and governments voiced strong opposition to "Israel’s actions" with many countries like Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Chile firmly speaking out against the war on Gaza and many of their leaders calling for an immediate ceasefire and some even taking concrete actions against Tel Aviv.
Colombia and Nicaragua followed suit in 2024, severing diplomatic ties with "Israel." Bolivia had already set the precedent in 2023, condemning "Israel's" aggressive and disproportionate actions in Gaza. Venezuela had made a similar move in 2009, and Cuba had done so as early as 1973.
The diplomatic rift extended to other nations as well. Brazil, Chile, and Honduras all called their ambassadors to Tel Aviv, increasing tensions on the global stage.
The fallout also affected the commercial sector. Colombia responded by issuing a decree banning coal exports to "Israel" and suspending the purchase of Israeli weapons. In contrast, Brazil became the first Mercosur country to ratify a free trade agreement with the Palestinian Authority, while Bolivia sent 90 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Several Latin American governments have voiced strong support for South Africa's complaint against "Israel" before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide through its actions in Gaza. Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Chile, and Cuba submitted declarations of intervention in this case, citing Articles 62 and 63 of the ICJ Statute.
Latin American and Caribbean blocs have also raised their voices in solidarity with Palestine. The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) granted Palestine the status of Sister Country and made it a permanent guest at their meetings. During a special summit in Venezuela marking the 20th anniversary of ALBA-TCP, the 10 member countries condemned the “crimes against humanity” in Gaza and reaffirmed their opposition to "Israel’s" actions, describing them as a “ruthless and inhuman genocide.”
Additionally, at the VIII Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), 24 out of 33 member countries signed a statement denouncing "Israel's" actions, expressing their strong repudiation of the violence in Gaza.
The signatories of a recent statement demanded an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" and urged the United Nations General Assembly, along with all parties involved in the conflict, to adhere to international law, particularly in protecting civilians. In the Caribbean, countries like Barbados (April 19), Jamaica (April 22), Trinidad and Tobago (May 2), and the Bahamas (May 7) became the latest members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to recognize Palestine as a state. Meanwhile, Belize suspended diplomatic relations with "Israel" in November 2023.
In the United States, university campuses became hotspots for protests calling for an end to US support for "Israel's" actions in Gaza. Columbia University was the first to see a significant pro-Palestinian encampment, though it was also one of the first to face accusations of anti-Semitism. Despite mass arrests and police repression, other prestigious institutions, including Yale and Harvard, joined the wave of protests. Carrying Palestinian flags, chanting, and holding signs, protesters demanded their universities sever ties with companies and individuals connected to "Israel."
Protests against US support for "Israel" also marked the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, attended by activists and voters enraged with President Joe Biden’s Middle East policy.
From Latin America to the United States itself, never before has the pressure been so intense against the genocide of “Israel” as in 2024, and in terms of solidarity with Palestine.
Latin America and the Caribbean: violence, economy and migration
In 2024, Latin America and the Caribbean faced a sharp rise in insecurity and violence, with organized crime and conflicts intensifying throughout the year. This surge in violence had serious consequences for socioeconomic development, as the region accounted for nearly a third of global homicides, despite representing only 8 percent of the world’s population.
Recent research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) revealed that crime costs the region over 3% of its GDP, equivalent to 80 percent of the region's public education budget and double its spending on social assistance. These costs stem from lost productivity due to lives lost, injuries, and incarceration, as well as spending on security, police, judicial, and prison services.
IDB President Ilan Goldfajn highlighted that crime limits growth, drives inequality, and diverts both private and public investment. He stressed the need for greater cooperation and intensified efforts to address this ongoing challenge.
The broader impacts of crime extend beyond economic costs; they curb investment, reduce tourism, and push people to migrate, further weakening the region's resilience and limiting its future growth potential. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has warned of a “trap of low capacity for growth,” projecting a growth rate of just 2.2 to 2.4% for 2024 and 2025, which will not be sufficient to close the significant gaps between Latin America and more developed economies.
The persistence of violence, insecurity, and inequality continues to fuel migration across the region, with Latin America and the Caribbean experiencing the most intense irregular migration flows globally. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that the number of unaccompanied and separated children migrating through the region reached record levels in 2024, with one in four migrants being a child or adolescent.
These crises are not only driving migration but also exposing the most vulnerable populations, particularly children, to armed violence and climate-related risks. Inequality, poverty, lack of opportunities, and corruption continue to contribute to the proliferation of criminal gangs, while drug trafficking remains one of the most lucrative and violent activities, intensifying the region’s most pressing challenges.
