Fake news, hate speech, and the consolidation of ‘outsider’ type candidates that pit themselves against traditional ways of doing politics were the elements that came together to produce the populist tendencies that have recently taken centre stage in Latin America.
The strong presidential character of Latin American political systems ensures that the personality of the candidate weighs in more than their respective parties, favouring a dynamic where a connection between a candidate and the people can weaken democratic institutions seen to be against the personable leader.
