LatinNews Regional Monitor: Brazil & Southern Cone - 15 May 2020

The 700km porous border that Paraguay shares with Brazil has historically been a source of concern for the Brazilian government as it has long been exploited by criminals to smuggle counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, and people from Paraguay.... Read More

The decision by Chilean retail giant Cencosud SA to pay dividends to its stakeholders while at the same time benefiting from a government employee furlough scheme has been heavily criticised by the administration led by President Sebastián Piñera.... Read More

For two months now, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has maintained that containing the coronavirus (Covid-19) cannot come at the cost of Brazilians’ jobs.... Read More

The Brazilian government has deployed troops to the Amazon, part of efforts to fight environmental crimes as deforestation is expected to surge with the start of the dry season (and increased wildfires).... Read More

ARGENTINA | Taking debt renegotiations into extra time.... Read More

The government led by President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou has managed to control the outbreak of Covid-19 in Uruguay so far, keeping fatalities from the coronavirus down to 19, with just over 700 confirmed cases.... Read More

On 14 May, a number of opposition parties in Brazil requested the overturning of a presidential decree (MP 966/20) which exempts public officials from responsibility for mistakes committed during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

* Brazil’s central bank (BCB) has asked that the Casa da Moeda national mint bring forward the planned printing of R$9bn (US$1.55bn) worth of banknotes to this month, as less cash has been circulating in the economy during the coronavirus (Covid-19) emergency.... Read More

On 14 May hundreds of protesters violated social distancing restrictions to gather outside Uruguay’s legislative assembly building to demonstrate against a far-reaching reform bill sent to congress by President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou.... Read More

* Chile’s principal winemakers’ association, Vinos de Chile, has predicted a 20% fall in foreign sales in 2020, its commercial director Angélica Valenzuela told Spanish newswire EFE, citing a significant drop in sales to China due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More