The first round of Bolivia’s presidential election on 17 August saw a total collapse for the ruling left-wing Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), with its candidate Eduardo del Castillo finishing in sixth place with just 3.17% of the vote, narrowly surpassing the 3% cut-off below which a party loses its legal status.

The guilty verdict that was passed upon Colombia’s former president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010) on 28 July was one of the most anticipated in the country’s recent history, and has been met with drastically differing responses on the left and right.