Elections 2026 and a Rightward Shift

Elohim Monard joins The Jacob Shapiro Podcast to discuss Latin America.

A massive geopolitical integration in LatAm is quietly underway, fueled by a "Trumpian" rightward shift sweeping from the Southern Cone to the Rio Grande. As traditional alliances fracture, a new "practical ideology" is emerging to unite the hemisphere through hard-fist security tactics and aggressive economic pragmatism.

But beneath this surface-level alignment lies a volatile paradox: a burgeoning "low-intensity war" targeting non-state actors as a pretext for permanent emergency. From the weaponization of fentanyl to state-sanctioned privateers, the line between regional stability and calculated chaos is vanishing. Latin America has suddenly returned to the center of the global board (contrary to major predictions) and the struggle for its future is no longer a civil war... but a high-stakes play for total hemispheric control.

--

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:52) - Current Geopolitical Climate in Latin America

(02:18) - Upcoming Elections and Political Shifts

(03:36) - The Rise of Right-Wing Politics

(07:20) - Brazil's Political Landscape and Lula's Role

(11:37) - Economic Dependencies and China's Influence

(23:01) - Strategic Infrastructure and Future Developments

(27:59) - US Investment in South America

(28:36) - Venezuela and Letters of Marque

(30:43) - US-Venezuela Tensions Escalate

(32:28) - Trump's Foreign Policy Strategy

(37:16) - Potential War Against Non-State Actors

(46:22) - Future of US-Venezuela Relations

(50:46) - Conclusion

--

Referenced in the Show:

Conversando de Pol ítica: https://www.conversandodepolitica.com/

--

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

--