- Globally support for strongmen is declining
- Populace, with support from international community, appears to be influencing leadership change, beginning in Venezuela
Approval of Russia’s Vladimir Putin has tumbled from 89 percent in June of 2015, when he illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea, to now just 63 percent – and falling – according to the Levada Center, a Russian NGO focused on sociological research.
Likewise, in Central America, Nicaragua’s 73 year-old President, Daniel Ortega, a leftist who came into power in a military uprising in 1979, has seen his support drop from 70% in June 2016 to less than 29% by July of 2018, following a violent response to peaceful opposition protests.
Strongman Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist for near four decades, was ousted in a military coup in November of 2017. His Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was installed as President in his stead. But with soaring inflation, civil unrest and millions of Zimbabwe’s citizens struggling to afford basics such as food, Mnangagwe’s popularity is rapidly declining. His response of violently quashing any opposition or protest to his rule is reminiscent of Venezuela’s Maduro – whose own fate hangs in the balance as the world has recognizes a new interim President in opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Article by: Francisco Cortez – Delgado
I graduated from Queen’s University with a Master’s of Political Studies. The intertwined world of politics and economics intrigue me. My favourite stories to cover are the ones that show how a few selected officials can impact nationwide macro-economic policies. I also follow the broader markets and FOREX.