Evangelicals and political power in Latin America

The political transition of the Evangelical churches in Latin America over time has been drastic. While the first Protestant missionaries that arrived from Europe wanted to improve society through the Gospel, without really playing a fundamental political role, today’s Evangelicals no longer talk of the “if” but only the “how” of their political actions. They have amassed a sizeable voting power, to the extent that they can tip the electoral balance, as the recent past demonstrates. In this new political and religious environment, governments and political parties in various Latin American countries are considering the pros and cons of an informal or formal rapprochement with Evangelical churches, be it through incorporating Evangelical leaders on their electoral slates or through concessions in their programmatic platforms, for instance concerning issues of the so-called “moral agenda”.