Latin America is home to several right-wing politicians who have long embraced U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Unsurprisingly, figures such as Argentine President Javier Milei and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro relished in Trump’s election victory on social media; in Buenos Aires, presidential staffers wore red ties today to celebrate.
But many countries in the region are currently governed by leftists, including regional heavyweights Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. Presidents of those countries tested cautious public messaging in the wake of the U.S. vote.
Latin America is home to several right-wing politicians who have long embraced U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Unsurprisingly, figures such as Argentine President Javier Milei and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro relished in Trump’s election victory on social media; in Buenos Aires, presidential staffers wore red ties today to celebrate.
But many countries in the region are currently governed by leftists, including regional heavyweights Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. Presidents of those countries tested cautious public messaging in the wake of the U.S. vote.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that she would wait for more of the official tally in the United States to be complete before recognizing a winner and added that Mexicans should have “not a single reason to worry” about how a Trump administration might affect them. (They have abundant reasons to worry—on issues from trade to immigration—but Sheinbaum’s comments suggest her government is taking the risks of Trump 2.0 seriously.)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, meanwhile, congratulated Trump in a post that claimed the “north-south dialogue” was still alive. And Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s pro-Kamala Harris sentiments of a few days ago morphed into collegial wishes of “luck and success” to the incoming Trump government.
This post is part of FP’s live coverage with global updates and analysis throughout the U.S. election. Follow along here.
