Latin American elections will change political landscape (good news)

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/world/13304634.htm
Posted on Thu, Dec. 01, 2005



By Jack Chang

Knight Ridder Newspapers

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - A wave of presidential elections over the next year in Latin America promises to reshape a region that's seen modest economic growth in recent years but soaring opposition to U.S. influence.

Polls show that leftist candidates who are critical of U.S. policies have good chances to win presidencies in Bolivia and Mexico. Voters also are poised to elect female presidents in Chile and Peru, which would be a first in both countries.

Observers are predicting hard-fought campaigns in which the role of U.S.-supported economic policies will be center stage.

"There's a polarization within the region in terms of what the development model should be," said Andres Rozental, the president of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations, a research center. "There is serious questioning of the Washington consensus, and in many elections there is a higher probability of victory for candidates of the more populist left.".......

.....The series of elections started last weekend in Honduras, with a surprisingly strong showing by opposition candidate Manuel Zelaya. The election was still too close to call by Thursday, however, and analysts note that the economic tensions that are at play elsewhere in the Americas aren't an issue in Honduras. ........

Rejecting US influence is good for your local economy.

Or bad news.

What are their policies likely to be? That's where the good or bad news is.