Latin America’s Pink Tide gives hope for international support to Puerto Rican independence
Pacto Histórico leader and Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, speaking at a rally. Photo provided by Fortalecemos Las Democracias de America Latina.
Puerto Rico is currently leading the largest independence movement among the remaining United States colonies. This push is largely supported by liberal and leftist politicians and voters on the island and in the diaspora who wish to see their Latin American island free from the conservative right-wing government of the Trump administration.
But La Isla de Encanto is not alone in its growth of progressive voters. Across Latin America countries have been seeing a steady increase in wins for leftist policies and presidents. Thirteen out of twenty countries of the region have left-leaning leaders in their highest seats of power and more are seeing a rise in liberal social movements and protests. From April to June 2024, 1 million Argentinians participated in a general strike against President Javier Milei’s education budget cuts.
The phenomenon has been colloquially known as the Marea Rosa (“pink tide”) since the early 2000s. Previous leftist leaders championing the movement included Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Lula da Silva in Brazil, and Evo Morales in Bolivia. They focused on wealth redistribution, social welfare programs, and anti-imperialist rhetoric.
The 2020s has seen a resurgence in the movement, calling it the “Marea Rosa 2.0.” The goal has stayed the same, but the rise in radical far-right movements across the globe has forced countries like Colombia to redesign their political tactics to fight extremists overtaking the government.
At the beginning of 2020, several leftist parties in Colombia combined into one, the Pacto Histórico (“Historic Pact”) in an effort to contest the 2022 presidential and congressional election. A variety of leftist, progressive, Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, feminist, and environmental movements joined as a united coalition to move as a single faction in Congress. Their goals? Ending neoliberalism, guaranteeing universal social rights, implementing and expanding peace agreements, and fighting racism, classism, and patriarchy.
“From our grassroots, community, and activist roots, with leftist voices and international leaders, we present to the country a unified project.”
“From our grassroots, community, and activist roots, with leftist voices and international leaders, we present to the country a unified project,” Representative Gabriel Becerra said at a 2021 campaign rally where the coalition was formally launching its electoral platform. Becerra highlighted the party’s aim to build power from below, rooted in popular struggles rather than traditional elite politics.
Facing the first election since forming, the Pacto Histórico put forth Gustavo Petro as their presidential candidate. Petro was the most prominent and experienced leftist leader in Colombia, with a long track record as a senator and former mayor of Bogotá. In 2022, he won the presidency with over 11 million votes. His running mate, Francia Márquez, has been a prominent Afro-Colombian environmental activist and feminist.
On July 20, 2025, the Pacto Histórico put forth 6 new candidates for the country’s primary vote in October. Ahead of the 2026 elections, the party will vote on who will succeed President Petro. A recent poll expects the Pacto Histórico to garner approximately twenty-six percent of presidential votes, ahead of far-right parties like Democratic Center at nineteen percent, and more centrist movements at about fifteen percent.
More broadly, Latin American movements have championed environmental regulations, social safety net programs, and social justice reforms. The left-wing governments throughout the region encompass over 90% of the population and GDP of Latin America. Broader regional shifts toward challenging colonial legacies, economic inequality, and imperial influence. These governments emphasize self-determination, social justice, and decolonization.
The old leftist rulebook is being rewritten. Latin America is the trailblazer for a growing trend of political engagement and positions of anti-imperialism and socialism. The Puerto Rican independence movement aligns with the values of left-wing policies across Latin America. Once Puerto Rico establishes itself as a sovereign nation, it will not be isolated but supported ideologically by the region’s prominent leaders.
To learn more about supporting the Puerto Rican independence movement, visit www.budpr.org.
