Fact Check Team: What’s behind South America’s rightward shift?
WASHINGTON (TNND) — As young Americans show growing interest in democratic socialism, a broader political shift has been taking place in South America — with several countries recently electing more conservative or centrist leaders.
South America’s shift to the right
Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile have all elected leaders who are more conservative or centrist than the governments they replaced.
In Argentina, libertarian Javier Milei defeated center-left Peronist Sergio Massa in 2023.
In Ecuador, Daniel Noboa defeated leftist Luisa González that same year.
Bolivia followed in 2025, when centrist Rodrigo Paz defeated Jorge Quiroga in a runoff, ending nearly two decades of rule by the left-wing “Movement Toward Socialism”, or MAS. The election came amid a severe economic crisis, including fuel shortages and rising prices.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 14: A person holds up a Cuban flag as people gather calling for help for Cuban protestors on the island in front of the United Nations on July 14, 2021in New York City. A small group of people gathered in front of the United Nations in support of the people of Cuba who have been protesting against the communist regime due to food shortage and worsening economic crisis that has been exasperated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The protest on the island has been the largest anti-government protest in decades. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
And in Chile, conservative José Antonio Kast defeated Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara in 2025. Kast’s victory represented a significant rightward shift after the left-wing government of Gabriel Boric.
The governments and political movements being replaced were not identical, and voters in each country had different concerns — including inflation, economic stagnation, crime, immigration and dissatisfaction with incumbents.
Cuba and Venezuela face economic collapse
Cuba and Venezuela are often invoked in arguments about socialism because both have governments rooted in socialist or communist political traditions.
Both countries have also experienced severe economic problems — but their stories are not identical.
Cuba remains a one-party communist state with a heavily state-dominated economy. The country is currently experiencing a deep economic and energy crisis, with severe fuel shortages and widespread power outages. Some blackouts in 2026 have lasted for much of the day.
At the same time, Cuba has begun making significant changes to its economic model. In 2026, the government approved reforms designed to open parts of the state-run economy to private and foreign investment, including changes to the energy sector.
That means even Cuba is not operating a completely state-controlled economy.
Venezuela experienced an even more dramatic economic collapse.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that Venezuela’s economy contracted by about 75% between 2013 and 2021 — one of the largest economic contractions experienced by a country not at war in nearly half a century.
The country also experienced hyperinflation, widespread poverty and a massive migration crisis. Venezuela’s crisis has been attributed to multiple factors, including economic imbalances, government policies, the country’s dependence on oil, declining oil production and prices, and international sanctions.