LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 1 August 2018

Development: On 31 July Brazil’s national statistics institute (IBGE) released figures which show that unemployment has fallen in the country, but that the number of people who are not working has reached a record high. Significance: The high levels of unemployment and the record number of people out of the workforce show that the economy is not recovering at a good pace, and this will become one of the most important subjects for the 7 October general election.... Read More

* Brazil’s national industrial confederation (CNI), a private sector lobby, has released a new report which has found that the participation of Brazilian manufactures in the global market has increased from 0.59% in 2015 to 0.61% in 2016 as Brazil’s domestic economy experienced a deep economic recession.... Read More

Development: On 31 July Pablo Moyano, the leader of the Argentina’s main lorry drivers’ union, the Federación Nacional de Trabajadores Camioneros (Camioneros), threatened to launch “a major mobilisation” against the government led by President Mauricio Macri.... Read More

Uruguay: Uruguay’s chamber of deputies has voted 85-1 in favour of ratifying a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Chile.... Read More