LatinNews Daily - 07 May 2020

On 6 May, Peru’s interior minister, Gastón Rodríguez, confirmed that the first phase of the country’s economic reactivation strategy will begin as planned on 8 May, despite concerns about the risk to public health, as the death toll from coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to rise.... Read More

* Colombia’s President Iván Duque has announced a new round of economic protections for businesses affected by quarantine measures taken in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

On 6 May, Brazil’s senate approved the creation of the ‘federal programme to combat coronavirus’ (Covid-19), which provides a total R$125bn (US$21.87bn) in financial aid to the country’s states and municipalities.... Read More

*Brazil’s central bank's monetary policy committee (Copom) has cut the benchmark interest rate (Selic) by 0.75 percentage points to 3.0%, a new record low.... Read More

On 6 May Guyana’s electoral commission (Gecom) began a recount of the votes cast in the 2 March general election.... Read More

* The Bahamas’ attorney general Carl Bethel has said that the government “regrets the apparent decision of the EU [European Union] Commission to signal an intention to add The Bahamas to a Blacklist which the EU Parliament mandates that the Commission maintain”.... Read More

On 6 May Mexico’s federal electoral tribunal (TEPJF) ordered the government to stop sending letters signed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to the beneficiaries of the government’s business micro loan scheme.... Read More

* According to figures published by Mexico’s national statistics institute (Inegi), vehicle sales in Mexico fell by 64.5% in April compared with the same month in 2019.... Read More

On 6 May, the association of employees of Chile’s women & gender equality ministry (Anfummeg) rejected President Sebastián Piñera’s appointment that day of Macarena Santelices as the country’s new minister for women & gender equality.... Read More

* Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández has insisted that 8 May is the deadline for foreign holders of Argentine sovereign bonds to accept the formal debt restructuring offer made by his government, and that the government will not contemplate making any extensions.... Read More

Due to a public holiday there will be no LatinNews Daily on 8 May.... Read More