Donald Trump backs ultra‑right candidates across Latin America

Since returning to the White House in 2025, US President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed ultra‑right candidates in several Latin American elections. His first major endorsement was for Honduras' conservative Nasry Asfura, followed by a “total backing” of Colombia's Abelardo de la Espriella after the latter’s narrow second‑round win over Iván Cepeda. Trump praised the Colombian victor as “intelligent, strong and tough” on Truth Social, asserting the result would forge a powerful US‑Colombia relationship. Similar praise was offered for right‑leaning victories in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru, and he signaled possible support for Brazil’s Flávio Bolsonaro. Opposition leaders, notably Colombian President Gustavo Petro, condemned the remarks as unlawful foreign interference and called for nullifying the vote. The Organization of American States’ charter bars external political meddling. Concurrently, the US has imposed new tariffs on Brazilian products and labeled certain Brazilian criminal groups as terrorist organizations, heightening bilateral tension. Analysts warn the pattern may reshape US influence in the region, with Mexico remaining the sole left‑leaning outlier.