By contrast, when a juvenile assassin shot a Colombian senator three times in June, he received a seven-year-sentence owing to lenient laws for juveniles in the country. The case led to calls for reforms to the law, but Gustavo Petro, the Leftist president, has not publicly supported any change.
The Right has also been better at portraying their candidates as political outsiders at a time when “there’s a widespread belief that parties and politics are broken, and no longer work for the average person,” according to Mr Young
According to Christine Wade, a political scientist at Washington College who specialises in Latin America, “the most popular political party is no political party”.
Like Mr Trump, some have embraced cartoonish antics and not shied away from using blunt rhetoric. Several can credit their rise to their social media prowess.
In Colombia, a recent Invamer poll showed Abelardo de la Espriella, the political newcomer, leading the field of opposition candidates to take on the ruling Leftist party next May.
The 47-year-old sports a perfectly manicured beard, similar to Mr Bukele’s in El Salvador, and often wears designer sunglasses. In every public appearance and online video, and even during live radio and TV interviews, Mr De la Espriella salutes as he shouts “staying strong for the homeland!”.
