Domestic Politics
Last week, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera took a picture at the empty Dignity Plaza in Santiago, which was the home to tens of thousands of protestors demanding structural overhaul and Piñera’s resignation before a state of emergency was declared on March 18. Given that over 11,000 people have been injured and 36 people have been killed during those protests, Piñera’s photo-op was seen as being in poor taste. [Al Jazeera]
Peru and Panama implemented a new policy under which men and women are allowed to leave their homes on different days. In Peru, men can leave their homes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while women can leave their homes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Everyone must remain at home on Sunday. In Panama, the days are reversed, but the policy remains the same. [NPR]
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, Brazil’s Health Ministry’s approval rating has risen to 76%, while President Jair Bolsonaro’s approval rating has fallen from 35% to 33%. Additionally, the number of people who see his presidency as a failure has risen from 33% to 39%. [Folha]
International Relations
Brazil’s Education’s Minister, Abraham Weintraub, mocked Chinese accents and suggested that China stood to gain geopolitical advantages from the ongoing pandemic. In response, China’s embassy called his statement “defamatory”, “stigmatizing”, “completely absurd”, “despicable”, and “racist”, and also demanded a retraction and an apology. Recently, President Jair Bolsonaro personally apologized to Chinese President Xi Jinping after his son said that China had covered up the virus and was to blame for the ongoing crisis. [Associated Press]
After Colombia imposed a 19-day quarantine to limit the spread of COVID-19, several Venezuelan immigrants are being evicted and forced to return to their home country, which has rampant crime, a crumbling economy, and food and medicine shortages. The Colombian government has thus far only provided support for the 3 million Colombian informal workers. [Al Jazeera]
Health
Ecuador’s fragile health system has been overwhelmed by the COVID-19 crisis. There are at least 3,100 cases in the country, and funeral parlors, hospitals, and morgues are unable to deal with the rising number of deaths. Local media in the port city of Guayaquil, for example, report that municipal authorities have collected at least 400 bodies from the streets. [Merco Press]
Brazil is Latin America’s hardest-hit country, with over 11,100 cases and close to 500 deaths. Many fear that the true numbers are much higher than what is being reported. [Merco Press]
Economy
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is hesitant to implement a large stimulus package as he fears it will exacerbate public debt. Instead, he announced an expansion of social programs and increase austerity measures. [Associated Press]
Image Source: The Rio Times
Latin America in Review: April 07, 2020
Read more about the latest events from Latin America.
April 7, 2020
