Latin America Is Shifting Right and Toward the U.S.

Sunday’s landslide victory of Laura Fernández, the 39-year-old conservative candidate for president of Costa Rica, is welcome news. But it’s part of a clear trend sweeping Latin America: Conservative parties are winning elections and then pursuing closer ties with the U.S.

The pattern has been consistent and clear. It began in late 2023 with the election of libertarian Javier Milei — an ally of Donald Trump’s — in Argentina. Since then, Milei’s free-market approach has paid huge dividends. Inflation has declined from 300 percent a year to just 30 percent, the budget deficit is now zero, and the poverty rate has plunged from 52 percent to 31 percent.

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John Fund

John Fund is National Review’s national-affairs reporter.

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Sunday’s landslide victory of Laura Fernández, the 39-year-old conservative candidate for president of Costa Rica, is welcome news. But it’s part of a clear trend sweeping Latin America: Conservative parties are winning elections and then pursuing closer ties with the U.S.

The pattern has been consistent and clear. It began in late 2023 with the election of libertarian Javier Milei — an ally of Donald Trump’s — in Argentina. Since then, Milei’s free-market approach has paid huge dividends. Inflation has declined from 300 percent a year to just 30 percent, the budget deficit is now zero, and the poverty rate has plunged from 52 percent to 31 percent.