As displeasure with corruption and inequality brewed throughout Latin America in 2018, the region’s two largest countries, Mexico and Brazil, took a marked turn toward populism. Mexico chose a leader from the populist left while Brazil turned right, offering an interesting policy contrast in the region. Within four months of one another, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also referred to as AMLO, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro defeated establishment opponents and transformed the region’s political landscape. The last two years have challenged most political leaders, with the rise of political division, as well as the coronavirus pandemic and its associated economic impact. For AMLO and Bolsonaro, however, this time has also been a test for their specific brands of populism. It has revealed some important shortcomings for the new class of Latin American populists, hamstrung by their distaste for the nuances of policy and governing.overning.
