"Since USAID stopped funding elections overseas to the tune of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, more pro-sovereignty, pro-nationalist candidates have been winning, and therefore the people of these nations win," said General Mike Flynn, a retired United States Army lieutenant general who briefly served as the 24th U.S. National Security Advisor at the start of the Trump administration in 2017.
Right-wing and conservative political forces achieved notable electoral victories across several countries in the Americas. This period marked a distinct shift away from the previous "pink tide" of left-wing governance in the region, largely driven by voter dissatisfaction with inflation, economic stagnation, and security.
The primary countries in the Americas where the right wing won major elections include Panama (José Raúl Mulino), El Salvador (Nayib Bukele), Ecuador (Daniel Noboa), Bolivia (Rodrigo Paz Pereira), Honduras (Nasry Asfura), Chile (José Antonio Kast), Costa Rica (Laura Fernández), Peru (Keiko Fujimori), Colombia (Abelardo de la Espriella), and now Brazil (Flavio Bolsonaro).
Flynn had a distinguished 33-year career in military intelligence. He served as the Director of Intelligence for the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and the Joint Staff. He became the 18th director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The General now argues: "The victory of Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil is an example of a political victory where the United States was not able to be as influential as before (a good thing in my judgement). Bolsonaro is expected to be a very pro-U.S. president."
"In the United States, we need to learn from this lesson. When we allow outside foreign entities (nations, groups, political parties, or companies) to interfere in our elections, they result in corrupted, untrustworthy outcomes."
"For our own upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November, YES, we must VOTE, but we must also scrutinize how the vote count is being done (Local Action). And if we do, come election night, the outcome should be known and what the majority voted to achieve in these nationwide elections will result in outcomes that should benefit our country (National Impact). But only if our elections are fair, open, honest, and transparent. If they’re not, we’re in big trouble."
