Latin America: Elections coming up in 2020-21

Latin America is gearing up for another flurry of elections as countries continue to combat the spread of the coronavirus and work to revive their shellshocked economies.

The health crisis and the economic storm it whipped up has dominated public discourse across most swathes of Latin America – but in some countries electoral politics has also shared the spotlight. 

Amid the pandemic some authorities, citing health risks, postponed voting. A question marks hangs over logistics and the impact contagion fears may have on voter turnout.

In Bolivia and Venezuela, political tensions – relating to the legitimacy of their respective incumbent administrations – have gripped the nations for months and years now, respectively. 

The needle on the political tension gauge has also been flickering in Peru, where President Martín Vizcarra, amid efforts to boost transparency, won a political arm wrestle to dissolve congress and hold parliamentary elections in January. In July, the centrist Vizcarra called for general elections to be held in April next year.

Electoral politics has remained a central issue in Chile too. A constitutional referendum, called for last year by protestors, is planned for next month – where voters will decide whether they want a new constitution and say who they want to draft it – and general elections for November 2021. 

Across the Andes, Argentina is due to hold midterms in 2021, which could be a de facto referendum on the handling of the health crisis and the economy by center-left President Alberto Fernández.

Mexican midterms are scheduled for 2021, also a potential channel for voters to express their approval or disapproval of leftist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's handling of the crisis.

Venezuelans are also due to go to the polls, in December, for parliamentary elections. The main opposition has said it would boycott the elections, citing fears the vote would be rigged. President Nicolás Maduro recently pardoned more than 100 lawmakers and associates of opposition leader Juan Guiadó.

Bolivia, in the hands of an interim government, will choose a new leader after socialist Evo Morales resigned last year after election results were disputed. In a controversial move, opposition senator Jeanine Añez took the reins.

Looking ahead to 2022, Colombia and Brazil are due to hold presidential elections. In Colombia, center-right President Iván Duque cannot run for reelection while Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro can run for a second term.

MAIN LATIN AMERICA ELECTIONS 2020-21

Argentina: Congressional midterms due on 24 October, 2021.

Bolivia: General election due on 18 October, 2020.

Chile: Constitutional referendum due on 25 October, 2020, and general election due on 21 November, 2021.

Ecuador: General election due on 7 February, 2021.

Honduras: General election due in November, 2021.

Mexico: Congressional midterms due on 6 June, 2021.

Nicaragua: General election due on 7 November, 2021.

Peru: General election due on 11 April, 2021.

Venezuela: Congressional election due on 6 December, 2020.