LatinNews Daily - 27 March 2020

On 26 March, US Attorney General William Barr issued charges of “narco-terrorism” against Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, and other leading government officials, offering a US$15m reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.... Read More

* Peru’s Economy & Finance Minister María Antonieta Alva has said that the government has PEN5bn (US$1.41bn) guaranteed for the 'economic revival phase', once the 15-day general quarantine – imposed on 16 March to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country – comes to an end.... Read More

On 26 March, the president of Brazil’s federal chamber of deputies, Rodrigo Maia, defended that the government should guarantee workers’ salaries in the midst of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

* Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras has announced a series of measures “to strengthen resilience” in the face of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic’s impact on demand and falling international oil prices.... Read More

On 26 March El Salvador’s legislature authorised the government led by President Nayib Bukele to issue debt of up to US$2bn to address the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19).... Read More

* Dante Mossi, the president of the Central American bank for economic integration (BCIE), has said that the BCIE has a US$1.91bn financial programme for Central America to address the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

On 26 March the president of Mexico’s largest business sector lobby Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana (Coparmex), Gustavo de Hoyos, appealed to the government to take urgent measures to confront the economic impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

* Credit ratings agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has downgraded Mexico’s sovereign credit score by one notch from 'BBB+' to 'BBB' with a 'negative' outlook, in the face of a worsened economic recession due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and tumbling global oil prices.... Read More

On 26 March the Sindicato de Camioneros (Camioneros) lorry drivers’ union complained that the adoption of strict confinement measures by local governments to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) is hampering the distribution of essential goods around Argentina.... Read More

* Uruguay’s President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou has announced the creation of a ‘Coronavirus Fund’, made up of profits from state companies and contributions from the salaries of public officials and politicians.... Read More