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Global Challenges to Democracy Report  No.236

Report No.236: The Return of President Trump and Its Implications for South America

Daniela Campello

July 30, 2025

Image: Daniel Wick/shutterstock.com

This report outlines the significant threat to democratic governance in Latin America posed by Trump’s renewed presidency. His attacks on the rule of law and alignment with authoritarian leaders have emboldened regional allies to weaken oversight institutions, concentrate power, and target vulnerable groups. As US soft power declines and China offers economic engagement without democratic conditions, the region faces growing risks of institutional erosion, deepening polarization both within and between countries, and rising political instability.