On January 18th, Pedro Solorzano woke up to find he was no longer in Managua.

ECONOMIST: Nicaragua

By curious chance, Mr Solorzano was the non-Liberal, non-Sandinist, favourite to win the mayor's job this November.

ECONOMIST: Nicaragua

But the last and biggest nail that Mr Solorzano chose to hammer into his political coffin was to provoke the leader of Ecuador's most powerful party, the Social Christians.

ECONOMIST: Ecuador