LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 02 December 2019

On 1 December, residents of the Paraisópolis favela in the south zone of Brazil’s São Paulo city marched to demand justice after a police operation resulted in nine people being trampled to death during a ‘baile funk’ party in the early hours of the morning that same day.... Read More

* Brazil’s national statistics institute (Ibge) has released the latest figures for unemployment, which show that unemployment in the period August to October 2019 has fallen to 11.6%, down from 11.8% in May-July 2019.... Read More

On 30 November Luis Lacalle Pou of the centre-right opposition Partido Nacional (PN, Blancos) held a victory celebration after the electoral court formally proclaimed him president-elect in Uruguay’s closest presidential election contest since the restoration of democracy in 1985.... Read More

* The Chilean peso has rallied against the US dollar after falling to record lows last week, closing the day at Cl$809.46/US$1 on 29 November, after the central bank (BCCh) announced that it would sell up to US$20bn in foreign currency interventions, citing excessive volatility resulting from the continuing socio-political uncertainty and tensions.... Read More

Uruguay held the second round of its presidential election on 24 November.... Read More

A number of human rights groups and international institutions have denounced human rights violations committed by Chile’s security forces since protests began shaking the country in mid-October.... Read More

International watchdogs have warned about possible setbacks to anti-corruption efforts in Brazil, following a series of decisions taken by the judiciary, the executive and the legislature which are weakening existing institutional frameworks.... Read More