PolyBrief Topic
Latin American Elections
February 1 – 10, 2026 · 3 developments
Background
, and whether volatile polling—especially in Brazil and Peru—will hold through election day. Staying informed on news coverage is essential because shifting poll numbers, candidate disqualifications, economic developments, and geopolitical dynamics between Washington and Beijing are rapidly reshaping race dynamics across the region.
Background / Context
Viewing: 2026 Colombia Elections: Presidential Race and Senate Battle
Colombia's 2026 elections will determine whether the country continues President Gustavo Petro's leftist reform agenda or returns to center-right governance, with parliamentary votes in March serving as a preview for the May presidential race. Leading presidential candidates include right-wing journalist Vicky Dávila, former Petro ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo, and centrist ex-Bogotá mayor Claudia López, while key parties compete for Senate seats that will shape the next government's coalition. The elections take place amid debates over security, economic reforms, the peace process, and Colombia's relationships with the United States and China.
3 developments in this topic
Public Interest Questions
Brazil Presidential Election
Briefing
Brazil's 2026 presidential race is taking shape as a competitive contest centered on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, and a fragmented right-wing field navigating the fallout from Jair Bolsonaro's imprisonment. Polls released in late January and early February 2026 show Lula still leading all first-round scenarios but with his narrowest electoral margin in 16 years—a Genial/Quaest survey placed him at 39.8% while Flávio Bolsonaro reached 33.1%, and 57% of Brazilians said Lula should not continue as president. Lula is responding with combative messaging, publicly comparing Bolsonaro to a "mad dog on a leash" on February 6 and using the Banco Master financial scandal to tie the opposition to financial controversy.
The right-wing field remains deeply unsettled. Tarcísio de Freitas is widely seen as the strongest opposition figure but has stepped back from an immediate presidential commitment, creating space for Flávio Bolsonaro's pre-candidacy—which itself faces high rejection rates, weak regional alliances, and conspicuous silence from PL Mulher. Federal Deputy Nikolas Ferreira is emerging as a powerful mobilizer, drawing major right-wing figures to his "Acorda, Brasil" rally on Avenida Paulista and announcing further mass demonstrations, though his own presidential ambitions remain conditional. Goiás Governor Ronaldo Caiado is pursuing an independent bid, and PSD president Gilberto Kassab announced his party will choose among Eduardo Leite, Ratinho Júnior, and Caiado by April 15, adding further volatility to coalition-building on the right.
Jair Bolsonaro's legal situation continues to shape the race. The STF upheld coup plot convictions with sentences of up to 24 years as of early February, and Brazil's military prosecutor formally requested Bolsonaro's expulsion from the army. His legal team's renewed house arrest requests have been largely denied by Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Eduardo Bolsonaro has argued that a Flávio presidency could yield pardons for some 400 conservatives including Jair himself, underscoring how the family's political strategy is intertwined with the former president's legal fate.
Briefing
This briefing focuses on the selected topic and condenses the developments shown in its timeline into one readable narrative.
Timeline
Colombia's March 8 Elections: 41 Million Voters, Deadly Campaign Season
More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to vote in the March 8 congressional elections, held amid what observers call the deadliest campaign season in decades, with candidates disappearing days before the vote.
87 articles
Colombia's March 8 Elections: 41 Million Voters, Deadly Campaign Season
More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to vote in the March 8 congressional elections, held amid what observers call the deadliest campaign season in decades, with candidates disappearing days before the vote.
Colombia's Registraduría Nacional conducted technical simulations ahead of the March 8 vote to determine the composition of the 103-seat Senate and House of Representatives. The campaign season has been marked by severe political violence, with a congressional candidate disappearing and another released after nearly 24 hours of alleged detention just days before the election. An AtlasIntel poll of 7,298 Colombians showed Vicky Dávila and Senator Paloma Valencia leading the right-wing 'Gran Consulta' primary, underscoring the consolidation of the anti-Petro vote around conservative figures. The Senate results will serve as a critical bellwether for the May 31 presidential contest.
Feb 10 – Mar 8, 2026
Underlying stories (4)