Beyond the US Election: Seven Stories That Shaped the Americas in 2024 | Politics news

Presidential Elections in the United States It has dominated global news headlines for much of the past year.

From polls to rallies and vitriol on the campaign trail, all eyes were on the showdown between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump on November 5.

Since Trump’s decisive victory, this has happened in many countries around the world She shifted her focus To analyze what the former US president has planned for his second term in office, which is scheduled to begin next January.

But 2024 wasn’t just about Trump and American politics.

The past year has seen a series of critical developments in countries around the world, from Israel’s deadly bombing of the Gaza Strip to the devastating war in Sudan and the recent ouster of the Syrian president. Bashar al-Assad.

In the Americas region, 2024 saw a changing political landscape, crackdowns on dissent, deadly violence, and the effects of a worsening crisis. Climate crisis.

Here’s a look at seven stories that shaped the Americas this year.

Disputed elections in Venezuela

Mass protests broke out In Venezuela after announcing the victory of President Nicolas Maduro for a third term in the presidential elections that took place in the country on July 28.

With the government refusing to reveal the usual voting results, the opposition published its own documents that it said prove Maduro won by fraud.

Public anger over the results spread to the streets for weeks after the race was called. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of demonstrators in the capital, Caracas, and other cities.

Human Rights Watch reported at least that 23 demonstrators or bystandersas well as a member of the National Guard, were killed in the government crackdown. Thousands of Venezuelans have also been arrested.

Maduro blamed the protests on his political opponents and foreign powers, accusing them of seeking to destabilize the South American country. He promised to publish the full results of the votes, but has not yet done so.

In early September, a Venezuelan judge issued an arrest warrant for the opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalezwho went into hiding after the vote. Gonzalez has since fled to Spain, where he is I requested political asylum.

“We are witnessing an intensification of the state’s repressive machinery in response to what it sees as critical, oppositional or oppositional views,” Marta Valinas, head of the UN fact-finding mission on Venezuela, said in a statement. a report On September 17th.

Gang violence on the rise in Haiti

Over the past 12 months, Haiti has witnessed a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis, as authorities struggle to stop a wave of attacks. Deadly gang violence.

In late February, the situation deteriorated when powerful armed groups rose Coordinated attacks were launched Concerning prisons and other state institutions in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The gang leaders demanded the resignation of unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Henry stepped down In March, a transitional presidential council was formed with the aim of leading the political transition in Haiti and organizing elections. The Council then appointed an interim Prime Minister. By Gary Cohnin May.

But violence continued across Port-au-Prince, forcing tens of thousands of Haitians to flee their homes in search of safety. Access to adequate foodSevere restrictions were imposed on health care and other services, and there were frequent reports of massacres, rape and other violence.

Deployment of UN-backed forces Kenya led police mission It has done little to stop the gangs, who are now believed to control about 85 percent of the Haitian capital. Observers say the deployment is understaffed and under-resourced.

Meanwhile, political conflict between the Transitional Presidential Council and Connell’s interim government led to the ouster of the Prime Minister in November. interim prime minister, Alex Didier Fils-AimeAnd he was appointed in his place.

Brazilian police say Bolsonaro was involved in the coup attempt

In November, police in Brazil Bombshell allegations announced Against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

The case centers on an alleged coup plot Bolsonaro narrowly defeated In the 2022 elections.

Police charged Bolsonaro By participating in a failed scheme aimed at preventing his leftist rival, incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from taking office after their heated race in 2022.

They said in a statement that Bolsonaro and 36 other people, including some of the former president’s aides and former government ministers, planned the “violent overthrow of the democratic state.”

Bolsonaro, a former Brazilian army captain who served as president from 2019 to 2022, has denied any wrongdoing and said he is the victim of a political witch hunt. He promised to launch a legal “battle” in his defense.

Violence escalates in Sinaloa after the arrest of the cartel leader

It was a big year in Mexican politics, as the country held the largest elections in its history and Claudia Sheinbaum became Prime Minister. First female president.

but election She was also one from Mexico The deadliest This is partly due to the influence of prominent drug trafficking gangs in the country.

One of the countries where violence continues is They will get itin the northwestern part of the country. There, rivals within the Sinaloa cartel struggle to fill the power vacuum left by the arrest of co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia.

US authorities arrested Zambada on July 25 along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of the sons of the gang’s other co-founder, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Zambada He said he was kidnapped He was transferred against his will to the United States, where he pleaded not guilty to a slew of criminal charges, including murder and drug trafficking.

The deteriorating situation in Sinaloa presented one of Sheinbaum’s first major challenges Since taking office In early October, she succeeded her mentor and fellow Morena Party leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Jacobo Quintero, a restaurant owner in Culiacan, the state capital, He said Al Jazeera reported in September that the city had ceased operations because residents were afraid to leave their homes Amidst the violence.

“We have about 15 percent of our regular customers,” he said. “People don’t want to go out because there are risks. They are afraid.”

Energy crises hit Ecuador and Cuba

Ecuador, which has long suffered from a surge in violence linked to drug trafficking, faced another serious threat this year: the effects of climate change.

Regional drought, exacerbated by the El Niño climate phenomenon, forced Colombia to Cutting off electricity exports To the country in April, sparking a crisis for Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.

The situation deteriorated further Forest fires were also recorded Fires broke out near the capital, Quito, as well as in other parts of the country. In November, Ecuador announced State of emergency for 60 days To help mobilize funds for fire response.

The drought – widely seen as the worst to hit Ecuador in decades – has crippled water levels at hydroelectric dams that supply power to much of the country. The authorities ordered a power outage for several hours a day and urged residents to conserve electricity.

similar The crisis has unfolded And in Cuba, where authorities imposed daily power outages in an attempt to shore up dwindling electricity supplies on the Caribbean island.

Cuba’s national power grid collapsed several times in 2024, leading to a number of disasters Nationwide power outages Over several weeks between October and early December.

The country’s power plants are aging, and Cuban authorities are struggling to obtain enough oil to operate them amid shrinking imports from Russia, Venezuela and Mexico.

Strong storms too Network knocked In October and November they hit Cuba with strong winds and storm surge.

Canada accuses Indian agents of involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist

A heated diplomatic dispute between Canada and India Caught again in October When Canadian officials said they had evidence that Indian government agents were participating in activities that threatened Canadian national security.

The federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they found evidence of Indian agents engaging “in serious criminal activity in Canada,” with links to “murders and acts of violence” and interference in democratic processes, among other things.

Relations between Ottawa and New Delhi soured in 2023 after that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Canada said it was investigating possible ties between India and the killing of prominent Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nigar.

Charges sent Shock waves across the country It sparked angry reactions from New Delhi, which completely rejected it.

After the latest accusations were published in October, Canada ordered the expulsion of six Indian diplomatic and consular staff. Foreign Minister Mélanie Jolie said the individuals were considered “persons of interest” in Al-Najjar’s case.

In a reciprocal move, the Indian government also ordered six Canadian consular employees to leave.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs strongly rejected Canada’s allegations, and said in a statement that “on the pretext of investigation, there is a deliberate strategy to defame India for political gain.”

High poverty rate in Argentina

Argentina’s poverty rate has risen over the past year as far-right President Javier Miley – who is sworn in at the end of 2023 – seeks to achieve his goal. Libertarian economic agenda They reduced government programs.

“This is very difficult. Before that, we had a house. We had access to benefits. But suddenly (the government) took everything away.” Al Jazeera recently said In a soup restaurant in the capital, Buenos Aires. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Miley’s hardline reforms sparked major protests nationwide Thousands take to the streets In June due to planned austerity measures.

However, despite the rejection, the Argentine president has retained his supporters, and is still seen as such A symbol of success for the global far right.