By Nick Miroff
Washington
Post (January 26, 2013)
Here, ahead of a regional summit in Havana this week, are
some of the region's most influential leaders on both the left and right ends
of the political spectrum.
Cuba: Raúl Castro
Born: June 3, 1931
Took office: Feb. 24, 2008
Since taking over from his brother Fidel in 2006, Raúl, 82,
has instituted a series of market-driven changes, allowing Cubans to start
small businesses, buy and sell their homes and own cars without special
permission.
Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro
Born: Nov. 23, 1962
Took office: April 19, 2013
The handpicked successor of Hugo Chávez, who died last
March. Chávez pushed through radical economic and political changes during his
14-year rule, and Maduro is now struggling to carry forward his socialist
vision.
Uruguay: José "Pepe" Mujica
Born: May 20, 1935
Took office: March 1, 2010
A former Tupamaro guerrilla who spent 14 years in a military
prison during the 1970s and '80s, Mujica has become the Pope Francis of Latin
American presidents. His candor and conspicuously spartan lifestyle have made
him a widely popular figure in the region. His government legalized marijuana
last year.
Ecuador: Rafael Correa
Born: April 6, 1963
Took office: Jan. 15, 2007
Correa is among the leftist Latin American populists who
have steered their countries away from U.S. influence and plowed his nation's
resource wealth into social programs. His approval ratings are among the
highest in the region.
Argentina: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Born: Feb. 19, 1953
Took office: Dec. 10, 2007
Fernández won reelection by a huge margin in 2011, but her
popularity has slumped along with Argentina's sputtering economy.
Brazil: Dilma Rousseff
Born: Dec. 14, 1947
Take office: Jan. 1, 2011
A former Marxist guerrilla jailed by the military
dictatorship in the 1970s, Rousseff was handpicked by her predecessor, Brazil's
charismatic president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Her popularity has recovered
since the huge protests her government faced last year.
Chile: Michelle Bachelet (incoming)
Born: Sept. 29, 1951
Scheduled to take office: March 11, 2014
Bachelet, whose father was murdered by former dictator Gen.
Augusto Pinochet and who was tortured herself as a young activist, returns to
the presidency after a landslide victory in November. A moderate, she's under
pressure to push Latin America's top economy further left.
Colombia: Juan Manuel Santos
Born: Aug. 10, 1951
Took office: Aug. 7, 2010
Santos was Colombia's defense chief under his conservative
predecessor Álvaro Uribe, and remains a key U.S. ally in Latin America. He's
moved toward the center during his tenure in office, engaging in peace talks
with FARC guerrillas. He's running for re-election in May.
Mexico: Enrique Peña Nieto
Born: July 20, 1966
Took office: Dec. 1, 2012
Peña Nieto has returned the long-ruling Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI) to Mexico's presidency after a 12-year absence, and
during his first year he's implemented many pro-business policies that were
once associated with the right.
Peru : Ollanta Humala
Born: June 27, 1962
Took office: July 28, 2011
A former army officer, Humala has assuaged worries that he'd
take Peru on a radical turn to the left. The economy has sizzled during his
presidency thanks to a mining boom, and he's backing the United States' push
for a Pacific Rim free trade agreement.
