The   article is  devoted  to  the  analysis of  such an  important trend  in the   development  of  the   political process  in  modern Brazil as  radicalization and polarization. These trends began to appear even  from  the  mass social movements of 2013, gradually gained strength, and became decisive in  the  series of  presidential elections in  2014 and 2018 and are now  the  main trend of  Brazilian  politics. The release  of  prison in  November 2019  and the  inclusion  in  the  political  live  of  the former president Luíz  Inácio Lula da Silva, the  largest leftist Brazilian politician, can give  a special impetus to political radicalization.

The article analyzes new phenomena and trends in Chilean politics, the results of the first period of activity of the center-right government ofS. Pinera, who came to power in 2018. The main attention is paid to the analysis of contradictory initiatives of the government aimed at increasing economic efficiency at the expense of social expectations. It is noted that the greatest risks are associated with the deepening crisis in relations between the government and society, the activation of the radical protest movement caused by the unsuccessful attempt to raise prices for the subway. This measure led to mass youth protests in October 2019, clashes with police and the imposition of a state of emergency, which was accompanied by an appeal of the government to help of the army. The result of the severe political crisis was the resignation of the Cabinet and the announcement of a new package of social reforms. Among the new political phenomena, the author also highlights the decline of traditional center-left, the collapse of the coalition New majority, the beginning of the institutionalization of leftist party alternative to the official center-left, and strengthening the ultra-conservative wing on the right flank.

This article analyzes features of the socio-political processes inEcuador. Priority is given to the style of government of the two presidents. The article emphasizes differences in style and methods of leadership of both heads of state initially considered as like-minded but later converted into antagonists.

The article analyzes the main directions of political radicalism inEcuador, in particular the “left turn” of the Ecuadorian government led by R. Correa. It is proved that the new geopolitical situation in the modern world has led to changes in the political and economic strategy of Latin America, when one of the leading political and ideological trends in recent times in the region has become the “left turn” of a number of Latin American governments, which emerged as an alternative direction in search of achieving social equality and improving the economic situation. The article explores the goal of radical socio-economic transformations inEcuadorin 2007, their main tasks and consequences. An analysis of the key achievements of the government of the “civil revolution” R. Correa is made, their negative consequences are revealed, the analysis of the main effects of radical reforms affecting the political, economic and social situation in Ecuador is carried out. It was revealed that in foreign policy the main tasks forEcuadorwere to reduce dependence on theUnited States, eliminate geopolitical isolation from Europe andAsia, and diversify international relations.

The article is devoted to the Guatemalan case of the fight against corruption. Here, the level of interweaving of the state with criminals has reached a high degree. Even international institutions, such as the International Commission to Combat Impunity inGuatemala, are not able to withstand this process and even more so the changes in the structure of the political system. The dominant elites ofGuatemalaare opposed to any attempt at change. The course of events shows that, according to the author, real changes inGuatemalacan only be carried out through revolutionary actions.

Sustainable development of any country involves the effective use of the intellectual and economic potential of all its citizens, men and women. That is why the achievement of gender symmetry is one of the priority tasks for the world community. There is an impressive body of norms, standards and principles related to the problems of gender equality, which the UN defends in the world. The author analyzes the impact of these documents and the activities of international organizations on the development and implementation of gender policy inLatin America. The paper examines specialized national mechanisms and plans for the promotion of women’s rights and the elimination of discrimination, etc. Such an analysis provides a very broad picture of the results achieved, as well as the problems and contradictions that Latin American society faces today in integrating women into the process of socioeconomic development.

The paper examines the socio-economic situation of children and adolescents inLatin Americaand the dynamics of its change in the light of the adoption of the UN Convention on the rights of the child in 1989. The main directions of state policy for the protection of children’s rights are analyzed taking into account the specific features of the regional situation and in the context of the principles underlying the concept of sustainable development. The main attention is paid to the analysis of the formation of new state mechanisms, the so called comprehensive system of protection of children and adolescents, as well as methods of ensuring their social rights and programs aimed at combating child poverty-an acute problem in the field of rights.

At the beginning of XXI century, there was a tendency towards the active implementation of the neoextractive paradigm in the economy of Latin American states, which was due to the existing“consensus of the commodities”. This term is interpreted by researchers as an economic, political and ideological order, which is based on the high demand for commodities in international markets. Despite impressive successes in filling up national reserves with funds received from the extractive industries, new forms of inequality and potential conflicts began to arise in Latin American society. The costs of the current model predetermined not only appeal to environmental discourse, but also to increasing of its supporters that allows them to outline their demands on the political landscape.

The article is devoted to the policy of the Donald Trump administration toward the leftist regimes of Latin America: Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.Washington’s strategy and tactics are examined, the reasons for its diplomacy are determined.The efficiency of theUSAsanctions is evaluated.

The article is devoted to the state of the Bolivarian Alliance, which will be 15 years old on December 14, 2019. According to the author, the crisis that the organization is experiencing is connected with the controversial “half measures” economic policy, which all this time has been led by the leadership of one of the organization’s leaders – Venezuela. To overcome the crisis, it is necessary to turn to the recommendations of the expert community.

Both the political and economic role of the Latin American region has increased significantly in the modern world. The largest Latin American countries have emerged as major regional players. In this regard, the analysis of the current foreign policy relations of the region is of particular interest and relevance for this research. Many key actors in the international arena are now paying increasing attention to the region. For a long time, the main partners of Latin American countries in various fields have been the USA and the European Union (EU), which have long historical ties with the region. However, against the backdrop of increased interest in the region on the part of other major international players, in particular China, the positions of both the US and the EU may have been weakened.

The article provides the overview of military-technical cooperation (MTC) of theRussian Federationwith Latin American countries, its main trends and impact on bilateral political and economic relations withVenezuela,PeruandBrazil. After the collapse of theUSSR, the supply of domestic arms to the Latin American market declined significantly. In the 2000s,Russiaregained its position in this market. Modern MTC strategies are primarily economic, marketing and political. The development of partnership in the field of military-technical cooperation is of long-term strategic importance, since the purchase of weapons entails the need for cooperation in other areas related to its use.