Under the spectre of a dictatorship

Presidential hopefuls: Abdo (left) has to beat Alegre for Paraguay

IT’S been pointed out to me that I have something of an obsession with South and Central American politics. And I have to admit it’s true. It’s not just about the romantic image of Che Guevara either. For the last 15 years, it’s been one of the most exciting places to watch as a wave of left wing governments took power in most countries, only for most to be rolled back. In that time the region’s traditional subservience to the United States was re-examined and many countries enjoyed a boost in economic growth. And we had personalities like Uruguay’s Jose Mujica, the poorest president in the world.

And it’s still an exciting time. Cuba now has a president who isn’t a Castro, Lula is the most popular man in Brazil but they are trying to throw him in jail, Maduro seems to be half rigging Venezuela’s elections and reformist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is leading the opinion polls ahead of Mexico’s next election.