Andean Region in June 2026: the most important developments in politics
Colombia's presidential election dominated the Andean region in June 2026. The outsider lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, known as "El Tigre", led the first round and faced Senator Cepeda in a runoff. Before the vote he promised closer ties with the United States after an endorsement from President Donald Trump. On 5 June Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the United States of allying with drug traffickers, and Democrats in the US accused Trump of interfering in the election. The runoff took place on 21 June. De la Espriella won by a razor-thin margin, Cepeda challenged the result, and a vote-by-vote recount followed. On 24 June, after a legal challenge was dismissed, Cepeda conceded. Trump congratulated the winner and said he would be a great president. De la Espriella has drawn comparisons to Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele.
In Bolivia, protests and road blockades continued through the month. On 3 June a new defence minister pledged to clear the roadblocks, and the legislature passed a law allowing the use of troops against protesters. On 20 June President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency over the blockades, hours after a deal was reached to end a strike and lift them. The Trump administration backed the state of emergency, citing fractures involving loyalists of a former leader. Spain's former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was accused of accepting 200,000 euros to influence Bolivia.
In Peru, Keiko Fujimori edged ahead in the vote count in mid-June, held an irreversible lead by 24 June, and on 30 June was confirmed as the winner of the presidential runoff. The country's president congratulated her and offered cooperation. In Ecuador, the military was ordered to apologise for the disappearance of four children. Brazil's Lula and Mexico's Sheinbaum defended the principle of non-interference amid pressure from the Trump administration.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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