Current situation

Updated:

Argentina: First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidential election in the first round, despite manipulation of inflation statistics by the government.

Venezuela: The National Assembly has passed a constitutional amendment that would let President Hugo Chavez run for re-election indefinitely. He was granted broad power to rule by decree in January.

Peru: Former President Alberto Fujimori returned to Peru for the first time since he resigned in 2000, after Chilean courts approved the extradition request. He now faces trial on human rights and corruption charges.

Use the scrolling menus to compare the current security situation or government orientation (executive branch ideology) to previous months and years. To see background information for individual countries, just click on the appropriate portion of the map, or on the appropriate flag below.

Country	President	Term	Current situation, recent events
Argentina	Nestor Kirchner	May 2003 - 2007	TENSIONS: First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidential election in the first round, despite manipulation of inflation statistics by the government. Outgoing President Nestor Kirchner became popular by facing down the IMF and international creditors, easing the financial pinch, thereby facilitating resumed economic growth.
Bolivia	Evo Morales	Jan 2006 - 2010	WIDESPREAD TURMOIL: President Evo Morales proposed a thorough revision of the constitution, centralizing power in La Paz, which has sparked protests in various cities, especially Santa Cruz. His proposals to enact radical social reforms have made investors very nervous.
Brazil	Luiz Inacio da Silva	Jan. 2003 - 2010	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: Leftist "Lula" da Silva was reelected by a comfortable margin in October 2006, in spite of bribery scandals and divisions with his Worker's Party. He has been praised for his relatively moderate approach to governing and for his anti-poverty programs, but prison riots indicate deep social discontent. Da Silva signed a bio-fuels agreement with President Bush in March.
Chile	Michelle Bachelet	Mar. 2006 - 2012	STABLE: Socialist Michelle Bachelet continues to push for reforms to reduce the influence of the Catholic Church, but her image was tarnished by the clumsy way she handled a nationwide strike by students. Chile and the U.S. signed a free trade pact in 2005. Former dictator Pinochet died in December 2006.
Colombia	Alvaro Uribe	Aug. 2002 - 2006	CIVIL WAR: Terrorism by FARC remained at relatively low intensity in 2006, and the ELN has begun a truce dialogue. Uribe's reliance on paramilitary units has yielded some success, but many of them are deeply involved in the drug trade and are guilty of human rights violations. This has tainted his government. U.S. involvement in the drug war seems to have declined.
Costa Rica	Oscar Arias	May 2006 - 2010	STABLE: President Oscar Arias overcame strong opposition to free trade, as a referendum in October approved CAFTA. He earned high prestige from his first term as president (1986-1990), but cynicism about politicians in the wake of recent scandals will make it hard to govern.
Cuba	Fidel Castro	Jan. 1959 - ???	TENSIONS: Fidel Castro had major intestinal surgery in July 2006, and "temporarily" transfered power to his brother Raul. The likelihood that Fidel will fully recover is bleak. Cheap petroleum from Venezuela thanks to Hugo Chavez has saved Cuba's economy from collapse. Cuban dissidents have been suppressed since March 2003.
Dominican Republic	Leonel Fernandez	Aug. 2004 - 2008	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: President Fernandez, who had served as president in the late 1990s, is trying to restore investor confidence via budget austerity. Charges of corruption on both sides are rampant. Growing discontent with economic privatization.
Ecuador	Rafael Correa	Jan. 2007 - 2012	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: The new president Rafael Correa has opted for a radical left-wing populist agenda à la Venezuela's Chavez. There have been sharp disputes with the Occidental Petroleum in recent years, and Indians have repeatedly set up road blocks to protest free trade.
El Salvador	Antonio Saca	June 2004 - 2009	TENSIONS: Prison riots reveal the growing strength of the multinational "Mara Salvatrucha" criminal gang. President Antonio Saca, a youthful former radio host, supports CAFTA.
Guatemala	Oscar Berger	Jan. 2004 - 2008	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: Coordinated prison riots in mid-August point to the rising power of the "Mara Salvatrucha" criminal gangs across much of Central America. President Berger, a former mayor of the capital city, is said to represent the traditional landed elite. Former President Portillo was criticized by the U.S. government of drug corruption and human rights abuses.
Haiti	Rene Preval	May 2006 - 2010?	WIDESPREAD TURMOIL: After repeated postponements due to the lack of security, elections were finally held in January. Rene Preval, who previously served as president and is an ally of ex-Pres. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has a huge task in front of him. U.N. peacekeeping forces can barely control the situation, as gangs run amuck.
Honduras	Manuel Zelaya	Jan. 2006 - 2010	TENSIONS: Opposition to free trade and deadly gang-provoked prison riots indicate substantial discontent in the population. New President Zelaya (a Liberal) supports CAFTA, however, as did his opponent.
Mexico	Felipe Calderon	Dec. 2006 - 2012	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: In spite of fierce protests against the validity of the July 2006 elections, almost shutting down Mexico City, Felipe Calderon was duly inaugurated on December 1, and tensions eased somewhat. He has sent Army forces into Tijuana and other northwestern cities to fight drug-trafficking gangs. A teachers' strike in Oaxaca finally ended in late 2006 after months of violence.
Nicaragua	Daniel Ortega	Jan. 2007 - 2012	TENSIONS: Former revolutionary leader Daniel Ortega has made quite a comeback. Like Ecuador's Correa, he is hedging his bets by making simultaneous radical declarations and pragmatic gestures. His Sandinista party won because of the split within the pro-business Liberal movement between ex-presidents Enrique Bolaños and Jose Arnaldo Aleman, who was jailed for corruption in 2005.
Panama	Martin Torrijos	Sept. 2004 - 2009	TENSIONS: President Torrijos is the son of former populist dictator General Omar Torrijos, who died in 1983. Thus far he has pursued a moderate leftist course. Voters approved a referendum to completely rebuild the Panama Canal to allow bigger ships to pass through.
Paraguay	Nicanor Duarte	Aug. 2003 - 2008	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: There were violent protests against the government's austerity policies in July 2003. In early December the Chamber of Deputies voted to impeach President Macchi on charges of corruption, but the Senate failed to convict him.
Peru	Alan Garcia	July 2006 - 2011	TENSIONS: President Alan Garcia has emphasized continuity and economic prudence, a sharp contrast from his radical populist agenda when he was first inaugurated in 1985. His Aprista party failed to win a majority in Congress, so he had to put together a coalition cabinet. Losing candidate Ollanta Humala (a populist retired colonel) disputed the election results.
Uruguay	Tabaré Vázquez	Mar. 2005 - 2010	TENSIONS: The inauguration of the first left-wing president in many years signals the probable end to the era of hegemony by the traditional Liberal and Colorado parties. People who live along the Uruguay River have been protesting Argentina's pulp mills on the grounds that they will cause terrible pollution.
Venezuela	Hugo Chavez	1999 - ???	LOCALIZED TURMOIL: Chavez continues to consolidate his power, squelching occasional resistance. He has purchased weapons from Russia, threatened to cut off U.S. crude oil, withdrawn from the Andean Community, and joined MERCOSUR. In 2006 he tried but failed to gain membership in the U.N. Security Council.

Flag

Country

President

Term

Current situation, recent events

Argentina

Nestor Kirchner

May 2003 - 2007

TENSIONS: First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidential election in the first round, despite manipulation of inflation statistics by the government. Outgoing President Nestor Kirchner became popular by facing down the IMF and international creditors, easing the financial pinch, thereby facilitating resumed economic growth.

Bolivia

Evo Morales

Jan 2006 - 2010

WIDESPREAD TURMOIL: President Evo Morales proposed a thorough revision of the constitution, centralizing power in La Paz, which has sparked protests in various cities, especially Santa Cruz. His proposals to enact radical social reforms have made investors very nervous.

Brazil

Luiz Inacio da Silva

Jan. 2003 - 2010

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: Leftist "Lula" da Silva was reelected by a comfortable margin in October 2006, in spite of bribery scandals and divisions with his Worker's Party. He has been praised for his relatively moderate approach to governing and for his anti-poverty programs, but prison riots indicate deep social discontent. Da Silva signed a bio-fuels agreement with President Bush in March.

Chile

Michelle Bachelet

Mar. 2006 - 2012

STABLE: Socialist Michelle Bachelet continues to push for reforms to reduce the influence of the Catholic Church, but her image was tarnished by the clumsy way she handled a nationwide strike by students. Chile and the U.S. signed a free trade pact in 2005. Former dictator Pinochet died in December 2006.

Colombia

Alvaro Uribe

Aug. 2002 - 2006

CIVIL WAR: Terrorism by FARC remained at relatively low intensity in 2006, and the ELN has begun a truce dialogue. Uribe's reliance on paramilitary units has yielded some success, but many of them are deeply involved in the drug trade and are guilty of human rights violations. This has tainted his government. U.S. involvement in the drug war seems to have declined.

Costa Rica

Oscar Arias

May 2006 - 2010

STABLE: President Oscar Arias overcame strong opposition to free trade, as a referendum in October approved CAFTA. He earned high prestige from his first term as president (1986-1990), but cynicism about politicians in the wake of recent scandals will make it hard to govern.

Cuba

Fidel Castro

Jan. 1959 - ???

TENSIONS: Fidel Castro had major intestinal surgery in July 2006, and "temporarily" transfered power to his brother Raul. The likelihood that Fidel will fully recover is bleak. Cheap petroleum from Venezuela thanks to Hugo Chavez has saved Cuba's economy from collapse. Cuban dissidents have been suppressed since March 2003.

Dominican
Republic baseball

Leonel Fernandez

Aug. 2004 - 2008

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: President Fernandez, who had served as president in the late 1990s, is trying to restore investor confidence via budget austerity. Charges of corruption on both sides are rampant. Growing discontent with economic privatization.

Ecuador

Rafael Correa

Jan. 2007 - 2012

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: The new president Rafael Correa has opted for a radical left-wing populist agenda à la Venezuela's Chavez. There have been sharp disputes with the Occidental Petroleum in recent years, and Indians have repeatedly set up road blocks to protest free trade.

El Salvador

Antonio Saca

June 2004 - 2009

TENSIONS: Prison riots reveal the growing strength of the multinational "Mara Salvatrucha" criminal gang. President Antonio Saca, a youthful former radio host, supports CAFTA.

Guatemala

Oscar Berger

Jan. 2004 - 2008

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: Coordinated prison riots in mid-August point to the rising power of the "Mara Salvatrucha" criminal gangs across much of Central America. President Berger, a former mayor of the capital city, is said to represent the traditional landed elite. Former President Portillo was criticized by the U.S. government of drug corruption and human rights abuses.

Haiti

Rene Preval

May 2006 - 2010?

WIDESPREAD TURMOIL: After repeated postponements due to the lack of security, elections were finally held in January. Rene Preval, who previously served as president and is an ally of ex-Pres. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has a huge task in front of him. U.N. peacekeeping forces can barely control the situation, as gangs run amuck.

Honduras

Manuel Zelaya

Jan. 2006 - 2010

TENSIONS: Opposition to free trade and deadly gang-provoked prison riots indicate substantial discontent in the population. New President Zelaya (a Liberal) supports CAFTA, however, as did his opponent.

Mexico baseball

Felipe Calderon

Dec. 2006 - 2012

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: In spite of fierce protests against the validity of the July 2006 elections, almost shutting down Mexico City, Felipe Calderon was duly inaugurated on December 1, and tensions eased somewhat. He has sent Army forces into Tijuana and other northwestern cities to fight drug-trafficking gangs. A teachers' strike in Oaxaca finally ended in late 2006 after months of violence.

Nicaragua baseball

Daniel Ortega

Jan. 2007 - 2012

TENSIONS: Former revolutionary leader Daniel Ortega has made quite a comeback. Like Ecuador's Correa, he is hedging his bets by making simultaneous radical declarations and pragmatic gestures. His Sandinista party won because of the split within the pro-business Liberal movement between ex-presidents Enrique Bolaños and Jose Arnaldo Aleman, who was jailed for corruption in 2005.

Panama

Martin Torrijos

Sept. 2004 - 2009

TENSIONS: President Torrijos is the son of former populist dictator General Omar Torrijos, who died in 1983. Thus far he has pursued a moderate leftist course. Voters approved a referendum to completely rebuild the Panama Canal to allow bigger ships to pass through.

Paraguay

Nicanor Duarte

Aug. 2003 - 2008

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: There were violent protests against the government's austerity policies in July 2003. In early December the Chamber of Deputies voted to impeach President Macchi on charges of corruption, but the Senate failed to convict him.

Peru

Alan Garcia

July 2006 - 2011

TENSIONS: President Alan Garcia has emphasized continuity and economic prudence, a sharp contrast from his radical populist agenda when he was first inaugurated in 1985. His Aprista party failed to win a majority in Congress, so he had to put together a coalition cabinet. Losing candidate Ollanta Humala (a populist retired colonel) disputed the election results.

Uruguay

Tabaré Vázquez

Mar. 2005 - 2010

TENSIONS: The inauguration of the first left-wing president in many years signals the probable end to the era of hegemony by the traditional Liberal and Colorado parties. People who live along the Uruguay River have been protesting Argentina's pulp mills on the grounds that they will cause terrible pollution.

Venezuela baseball

Hugo Chavez

1999 - ???

LOCALIZED TURMOIL: Chavez continues to consolidate his power, squelching occasional resistance. He has purchased weapons from Russia, threatened to cut off U.S. crude oil, withdrawn from the Andean Community, and joined MERCOSUR. In 2006 he tried but failed to gain membership in the U.N. Security Council.