LatinNews Daily - 21 May 2021

On 20 May Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández announced the tightening of restrictions on movement and activities around the country aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).... Read More

On 20 May the Inter American Press Association (Iapa) condemned an assault on journalists covering a political rally by Pedro Castillo, the frontrunner in the second round of Peru’s presidential election, due to be held on 6 June.... Read More

* The ministerial cabinet of Ecuador’s president-elect, Guillermo Lasso, who takes office on 24 May, has announced plans to give the private sector a significant role in Ecuador’s economic recovery.... Read More

On 20 May, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro criticised France due to the European country’s opposition to ratifying a trade deal reached in 2019 between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU).... Read More

* Brazil’s Receita Federal national tax authority has released the figures on the government’s tax take for the month of April, according to which tax revenue totalled R$156.8bn (US$29.7bn).... Read More

On 20 May a Nicaraguan opposition presidential hopeful, Cristiana Chamorro Barrios, the daughter of former president Violeta Chamorro (1990-1997), slammed as “macabre” a money laundering investigation launched against her, announced the same day by the interior ministry.... Read More

* Cuba’s economy minister, Alejandro Gil Fernández, has said Cuba’s economy could grow 6% this year after contracting 11% in 2020 as a result of the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and US economic sanctions.... Read More

On 20 May Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appealed to the central bank (Banxico) to explain exactly what it does with its international reserves after it reported earlier this week that it would not be in a position to transfer any surplus reserves to the government this year.... Read More

* Mexico’s economy ministry (SE) has released new figures which show foreign direct investment (FDI) to Mexico in the first quarter of 2021 totalled US$11.86bn.... Read More

* Argentina’s national statistics institute (Indec) has released the latest figures for its monthly index of economic activity (Emae), which serves as a proxy for GDP, and which registered a 11.4% positive variation in March 2021 compared with the previous year.... Read More