Caribbean & Central America - July 2022

The first piece in this July 2022 edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Caribbean & Central America begins with Guatemala where President Alejandro Giammattei’s decision announced mid-May to re-appoint the highly discredited head of the attorney general’s office (AG), María Consuelo Porras, has drawn widespread condemnation.... Read More

President Alejandro Giammattei’s decision announced mid-May to re-appoint the highly discredited head of the attorney general’s office (AG), María Consuelo Porras, has drawn widespread condemnation both locally and abroad.... Read More

In late June, El Salvador’s 84-member unicameral legislature approved an executive decree extending for a further 30 days, the state of emergency imposed by the Nuevas Ideas (NI) government led by President Nayib Bukele in March [SSR-22-05] in response to gang violence.... Read More

A wave of massive cyberattacks against Costa Rican institutions has shone a spotlight on vulnerabilities which are cause for concern in countries throughout the region.... Read More

On 7 June the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a statement on the “favourable” outlook for Guatemala’s economy, the latest in a string of positive assessments from influential bodies that belie the difficult economic situation for many in the country.... Read More

From 6-10 June leaders from a selection of Latin American countries travelled to Los Angeles to take part in the Summit of the Americas (SoA) to hear about US President Joe Biden’s vision for relations with the region, but for Central America the results left much to be desired.... Read More

For many on the left, the decision of most Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders to attend the 6-10 June Summit of the Americas (SoA) in Los Angeles was a betrayal of Caricom’s principles and another nail in the coffin of regional unity.... Read More

In the May issue of Security & Strategic Review [SSR-22-05] we looked in some depth at the concerns in the Caribbean about food security, concerns that have been rising in recent years as a result of the adverse consequences of natural disasters and the effects of climate change now compounded by the effects of the war in Ukraine.... Read More

*** GUYANA SIGNS BRIDGE DEAL WITH CHINA.... Read More

Visiting Barbados in June, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva met Prime Minister Mia Mottley and played the role of financial ‘good cop’ saying the Fund is now much more sensitive to the social costs of fiscal austerity, and more prepared to protect the vulnerable at times of financial difficulty.... Read More

Expanded activity by Haiti's criminal gangs is adding to the country's economic problems, marked by rising food insecurity.... Read More

HONDURAS | FDI up.... Read More