Latin America’s Shaky Normalcy

This text analyses recent political and economic developments in Latin America (including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Peru, and Venezuela) which in the author’s opinion demonstrate that the region has entered a new phase of political transition. The author suggests that the “golden age” of the Latin American left has come to an end, first and foremost due to the completion of the commodities’ super-cycle and rising public disillusion with the performance of left-wing leaders. He concludes, however, that this need not translate into an inevitable “turn to the right,” nor signal a beginning of the long-awaited inter-American rapprochement, especially given that the presidency of Donald Trump in the United States, coupled with mounting political tensions and economic difficulties at home, may force Latin America to confront new challenges.