LatinNews Daily - 02 September 2020

On 1 September, Brazil’s national statistics institute (Ibge) released the second quarter GDP figures, which show that the Brazilian economy has gone into a technical recession after contracting for the second consecutive quarter. ... Read More

On 1 September, Venezuela's two-time presidential runner-up, Henrique Capriles, confirmed that he had engaged with the Nicolás Maduro government to secure 'pardons' for 110 imprisoned opposition figures, but denied that these talks amounted to “negotiations” with Maduro.... Read More

* Colombia’s central bank (Banrep) has reduced its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points, from 2.25% to a historic low of 2%, to support the recovery of the country’s economy, hit hard by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

* Brazil’s chamber of deputies has approved the base text for a bill which establishes a new regulatory framework for the country’s gas market, with the aim of breaking the current state monopoly and opening up the sector to more private participants.... Read More

On 1 September hundreds of students took to the streets in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, demanding justice for the recent murder of Monferrier Dorval, the head of the Port-au-Prince bar association, as well an end to insecurity in the country.... Read More

* The Dominican Republic’s central bank (BCRD) has announced a further reduction to its benchmark interest rates after analysing the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on the Dominican economy.... Read More

On 1 September various commentators criticised the annual state-of-the-nation report (Informe) presented by Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for making uncorroborated claims and for failing to acknowledge any mistakes in dealing with the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.... Read More

* Mexico’s central bank (Banxico) has released its latest figures on remittances, which show that these totalled US$22.8bn in the first seven months of 2020, up 10% on the same period in 2019, despite the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on employment in the US - the main source of remittances for Mexico.... Read More

On 1 September Argentina’s society of intensive care professionals (Sati) published a letter expressing increasing desperation at the battle against coronavirus (Covid-19), which it warns is being lost.... Read More

* Chile’s central bank (BCCh) has released the monthly index for economic activity (Imacec) for July, which shows that the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the strict quarantine measures taken to contain its spread, notably in the country’s main urban centres including the capital Santiago, have continued to take their toll on the economy.... Read More