In
Latin America, neopopulism is called "Neopopulismo" in
Spanish. In
Peru, the government of
Alberto Fujimori demonstrated strong communication skills with the lower-middle class, leading American and British academics to conclude that his rule approached the concept of neopopulism. Even so, political scientist referred to him simply as a "populist
Caudillo". This is despite the fact that caudillismo had its origins in the early years of the republic.
Fujimorism emerged as a product of his extensive rule, which
Euronews conceptualized as "neoliberal populism", and his daughter
Keiko Fujimori and more recently
Dina Boluarte. In
Brazil, after several administrations of the
Workers' Party,
Jair Bolsonaro came to power following the
2018 Brazilian general election. He conservative voters for his anti-crime stance. He was considered a controversial figure who on several occasions throughout his political career railing against democracy and defending the
torture and
human rights violations committed by the
military dictatorship. According to Pablo Stefanoni, after the fall of the
Berlin Wall in 1989, existing socialism disappeared; but what did not disappear was anti-communism. This was noticeable in the political arena prior to Bolsonaro's rise to power, who also made openly homophobic statements during the campaign and garnered praise from the American strategist
Steve Bannon. He also promoted various
fake news stories and conspiracy theories surrounding an alleged coup attempt. He repeatedly stated that "a police officer who doesn't kill isn't a police officer". He also joined the
anti-quarantine movement during the
COVID-19 pandemic. His candidacy was supported by
evangelical churches promoting
prosperity theology,
conservative nationalism, and a discourse steeped in
Christian fundamentalism. The
2022–2023 Brazilian coup plot against the elected
Lula da Silva, led to an
occupation of the National Congress and the presidential residence. Bolsonaro denied involvement. In
Argentina, the party
La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances) emerged, led by
Javier Milei emerged in 2023. This party has managed to capitalize on a sector of people dissatisfied with conventional politics. Its leader, Milei, has been characterized by his constant presence in the media and by his confrontational and strident tone in deploying proposals that boast of being a disruptor. Anti-establishment messaging was core to the campaign. Analyst
Beatriz Sarlo has described him as a right-wing “
utopista" a believer in the supposed idealized virtues of
capitalism, with a knack for communicating a simple and superficial message capable of being immediately persuasive to many: “The
State is worse than an ordinary
thief, because it takes everything from you; politicians are
sociopaths, because they want us to believe that we cannot live without them. The State robs us and politicians deceive us”. Social skepticism, distrust of democratic institutions, weariness,
apathy, and the lack of active citizen involvement in public affairs also create a fertile ground for the emergence of leaders who offer seemingly easy solutions to problems. In this same vein, Sarlo has pointed out: In
Bolivia, was neopopulism was used by
RealClearPolitics to describe the ideology of
Evo Morales. In
Chile, the emergence of
José Antonio Kast's
Republican Party —described as
far-right or
right-wing populist—has diminished the presence of traditional right-wing parties, including the historic
UDI. In the
2025 Chilean general election, he became the first far right president in 25 years. The
Republican Party has, at various times, defended the
Pinochet regime and championed
security and
opposition to immigration as key issues that have garnered it electoral support. It has also adopted as its banners
opposition to same-sex marriage,
abortion rights, and a radicalized conservative discourse that appeals to traditional values. However, it has combined this with a harshly confrontational discourse toward
left-wing parties and launched an attack against what this sector considers
political correctness. The party has been compared to
Trumpism. Juan Carlos Ubilluz Raygada argues that, in the case of Latin America, the cultural and historical matrix of radicalized right-wing movements lies in the pre-independence era, given its “oligarchic, colonial, racist, and patrimonial character", and that the authoritarian style of their actions is rooted in the dictatorships of the 20th century. Meanwhile, the model of society they advocate is one aligned with
neoliberalism, a watershed moment following the
1973 military coup in
Chile and the arrival of the
Chicago Boys in
South America. Pablo Stefanoni summarizes that: “Throughout Latin America, a new right wing is also emerging, articulating a vote that opposes successes. Racism as a rejection of a racialized view of poverty, and conservatism against the advances of feminism and sexual minorities. The growth of political evangelism and the popularity of politicians and opinion leaders who have declared war on what they call ‘gender ideology’ are some of the vectors for the political expression of an increasingly virulent anti-progressivism”. == North America ==