Weekly Report - 07 February 2019 (WR-19-05)

Nayib Bukele confirmed his vertiginous rise by not just defeating but eviscerating the duopoly that has dominated El Salvador’s political scene for the last 30 years in the first round of presidential elections on 3 February.... Read More

President Martín Vizcarra presented a plan on 31 January to drive economic growth and convert Peru into a developed country over the next 20-30 years.... Read More

The battle between Venezuela’s two presidents – the incumbent Nicolás Maduro and the challenger, Juan Guaidó – was this week playing out in various locations.... Read More

On 6 February President Iván Duque presented a new national defence and security policy which rules out bilateral cease-fires with rebel forces – which up till now have played a significant part in attempts to pacify the country.... Read More

PERU | Exports.... Read More

On the surface the new administration of President Jair Bolsonaro has won an important victory with the appointment of supportive new house and senate speakers.... Read More

On 4 February justice and security minister Sergio Moro presented a package of new proposals designed to crack down on crime and corruption.... Read More

“An unprecedented moment in Chile’s history.” This was the response of former president Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006) to the recent decision by local judge Alejandro Madrid to convict six people of the 1982 murder of former president Eduardo Frei Montalva (1964-1970).... Read More

PARAGUAY | Bond issue.... Read More

Being a firebrand political leader, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is not known for being apologetic, in particular to his political rivals.... Read More

MEXICO | Tax break for Pemex.... Read More

“An economic coup by the State.” This is the assessment of José Adán Aguerri, the president of Nicaragua’s private sector lobby Cosep, in response to changes to the social security system (INSS) passed by President Daniel Ortega as well as proposed tax reforms.... Read More

Guatemala’s former attorney general (AG) Thelma Aldana (2014-2018) has ended speculation.... Read More

Ecuador’s largest trade union movement Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT) joined part of the umbrella indigenous organisation Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas (Conaie) last week in staging nationwide protests against the economic measures implemented by the government led by President Lenín Moreno.... Read More

“We are going to construct the best government in our country’s history.... Read More