Xinhua News Agency published an analysis arguing that Latin America’s recent shift to the right does not necessarily indicate that the “Donro Doctrine” is fundamentally reshaping the region’s political landscape. Rather, it contends that the trend is a temporary swing based on a combination of domestic political dynamics and external factors.
According to the article, the region’s rightward trend continued in the first half of 2026, with conservative candidates winning presidential elections in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Peru, following right-of-center victories in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Honduras in 2025.
The analysis attributes the shift primarily to domestic economic and security challenges. Sluggish economic growth, deteriorating public security, and voter dissatisfaction with the performance of incumbent left-leaning governments have prompted many voters to support conservative candidates. It also contends that U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed “Donro Doctrine” (唐罗主义) toward Latin America has reinforced the trend by openly backing right-leaning candidates and exerting political pressure during regional elections.
However, the analysis argues that the recent electoral outcomes do not signal a fundamental ideological realignment or a permanent shift to the right. Instead, they reflect Latin America’s long-standing political “pendulum effect,” in which power alternates between left- and right-leaning parties. The narrow victories of conservative candidates in countries such as Peru and Colombia suggest that election outcomes are driven more by government performance and campaign strategy than by a decisive ideological shift.
Source: Xinhua, July 15, 2026
https://www.news.cn/world/20260715/d608c3fad33c43ac859fdaefbc03bb65/c.html