LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 23 April 2020

On 22 April, Brazil’s new federal health minister Nelson Teich said that Brazil was one of the countries which presented the “best performance” in relation to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, as it has a comparatively low number of Covid-19 deaths per million people.... Read More

* The secretary for privatisation and divestment in Brazil’s economy ministry, Salim Mattar, has said that the government’s divestment plans for this year are now postponed until 2021, in light of the global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

On 22 April, Patricia Samudio resigned as the head of Paraguay’s state-owned oil company Petróleos Paraguayos (Petropar) following allegations of corruption related to the purchase of equipment to fight the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

* Argentina’s government has confirmed that it did not meet the US$500m interest payment due on 22 April on three bonds emitted under international law; and said that it intends to use the 30-day grace period to try to reach a “sustainable” repayment schedule with bondholders.... Read More