Emerging Leaders

Across parts of Latin America over recent decades, re-election has become the norm as president after president has campaigned for constitutional changes in order to run again, and in some cases, again and again.

But even as members of the old guard have returned to the top office – such as President Alan García in Peru – or are seeking to govern again – Eduardo Frei in Chile, for example – aspiring leaders are waiting to take the center stage.

Some of the up-and-coming politicians are emerging from provincial or local governments, a non-traditional road to the presidency in the region. Some are opposition leaders, standing in stark contrast to the central government, such as the left-of-center mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón.

Still others could be dubbed “the anti-politicians” in a region known for deep ideological differences and blistering rhetoric. These leaders eschew ideology while embracing pragmatism to solve the region’s problems. They are ready to campaign on their records of cleaning up slums, improving transportation or reforming education, with Sergio Fajardo, the former major of Medellin, among their ranks.

Presidential contests coming up in 2009 and 2010 will reveal whether voters will cast ballots based on improvements to their quality of life or whether party politics, economics and big picture ideologies continue to hold sway.

To be sure, incumbents have proved to be resilient. Ecuador’s Rafael Correa triumphed in his bid to win another presidential term on April 26. Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales have both succeeded in gaining the right to pursue re-election. Colombia’s President Álvaro Uribe may also attempt to gain the nod for a third term. These men insist that they need to remain in power to oversee their brand of change.

But in countries like El Salvador and Panama, people have opted for change – echoing voters in the United States last November. In El Salvador, veteran TV broadcaster and morning talk show host Mauricio Funes led the leftwing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front to a March 15 victory over the rightist Nationalist Republican Alliance, which had held the presidency for almost two decades.

Change came from the right in Panama, where conservative, supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli won the May 3 presidential race by a landslide, ending the near-lock that the leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party has had on the presidency.

“Latin America is split into different kinds of leaders,” said Larry Birns, chairman of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, an independent, non-profit think tank in Washington. “With the diminution of U.S. predominance in the region and the growth of autonomy, leadership takes on a whole new definition. It is substantive leadership instead of style.”

For more about some of Latin America’s emerging leaders, read the following profiles in the series:

Felipe Solá – A Politician For All Seasons
Mauricio Macri – Millionaire Executive Turns to Politics
Aécio Neves – A Political Heir Apparent
Sergio Fajardo – The Mathematical Answer
Roberto Murray Meza – Entrepreneur Enticed by Politics
Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón – Polish and Populism in Presidential Run
Josefina Vázquez Mota – A Party Stalwart Waiting in the Wings
Aminta Granera Sacasa – Top Cop with Political Appeal
Luis Castañeda Lossio – A Dark Horse in a Long Race