Strong leaders in Latin American history have often looked for alternative ways to remain close to power when they couldn’t run for office, be it because of legal limits on re-elections, questionable political bans, or many other reasons.
Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva once handed the sash to close Workers’ Party ally Dilma Rousseff after two consecutive terms. In 2018, after being barred from running due to corruption and money laundering convictions (which were later quashed), Lula had his current finance minister as his proxy. Fernando Haddad ran under the less-than-subtle slogan “Lula is Haddad, Haddad is Lula.”
In Bolivia, Evo Morales first tried to stretch constitutional limits by running for a fourth term until a coup ousted him in 2019. One year later, he eased tensions by nominating his economic tsar, Luis Arce, instead.
In Argentina, former President Cristina Kirchner has repeatedly nominated moderate allies that are more palatable to swing voters despite being the clear leader of the Peronist camp. Not to mention the many times the movement’s founder, Juan Domingo Perón, called on his supporters to vote for allies across the ocean while he was banned and exiled in Spain.
Now, a similar situation seems to be unfolding in Ecuador, as Rafael Correa — the popular leader who served the country between 2007 and 2017 — is eyeing a return to power despite also living in exile.
Mr. Correa has his sights on the August 20 snap elections, triggered by incumbent President Guillermo Lasso as Congress was cornering him with impeachment threats.
Voters will choose a new president, vice president, and renew all 137 assembly seats for short tenures ending in 2025, when a...
Search
