Latin American Weekly Report
Weekly Report - 28 May 2020 (WR-20-21)
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- Argentina’s default number nine: the enigmatic one
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Peace agreement back under scrutiny
- BOLIVIA: Ventilator scandal dominates political agenda
- ECUADOR: Austerity agenda drives renewed protests
- VENEZUELA: Maduro pulls off propaganda coup in Caribbean waters
- PERU: Slowly changing tack on coronavirus
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Pandemic and politics vying for attention
- CHILE: Looking for a new consensus to overcome virus
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Federal-state government tensions grow
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-HAITI: Warnings of a ‘perfect storm’
- COSTA RICA-REGION: Border closure tests integration
POSTSCRIPT
- Bouterse facing defeat in Suriname
- Quotes of the week
Argentina defaulted on its foreign debt on 22 May, the ninth default in the country’s history.
Weekly Report - 21 May 2020 (WR-20-20)
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- Mexico swimming against the tide under López Obrador
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Moreno’s drastic action risks repercussions
- COLOMBIA: Cuba controversy undermines peace process
- VENEZUELA: Political escalation overshadows pandemic concerns
- BOLIVIA: Interim government feeling the pressure
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Another health casualty as uncertainty reigns
- CHILE: Social discontent spreads
- URUGUAY: Lacalle Pou proclaims ‘revised’ pulp mill deal
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: State of emergency sparks fresh institutional crisis
- GUATEMALA-REGION: Fears rise of another health-related crisis
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Guyana-Suriname elections shrouded in controversy
- Quotes of the week
If critics of Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador were restricted to isolating just one of his faults there is a strong chance they would settle on his inflexibility, a dogmatic determination to pursue his own ideologically infused agenda irrespective of the costs.
Weekly Report - 14 May 2020 (WR-20-19)
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- Duque deals blow to dissident Farc but suffers setback
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó fighting for survival
- PERU: Quarantine pressure starting to show
- BOLIVIA: Pandemic policies under fire
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- PARAGUAY: Worried by ‘Brazilian threat’
- CHILE: Government censures Cencosud
- BRAZIL: Debate over isolation persists
- BRAZIL: Armed forces deployed to protect the Amazon
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Military role in public security cemented
- MEXICO: Tensions over reopening the economy
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: New allegations push Hernández back on defensive
- NICARAGUA: Challenging the official narrative
POSTSCRIPT
- Uruguay seeks innovative approach to revive tourism
- Quotes of the week
Colombia’s President Iván Duque celebrated the capture of a member of the high command of the dissident Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) on 8 May.
Weekly Report - 07 May 2020 (WR-20-18)
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- Venezuelan military thwarts plan to “extract” Maduro
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: End of ceasefire dashes peace prospects
- BOLIVIA: Election date dispute taken to court
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro lashes out as probe gets underway
- ARGENTINA: Debt impasse raises risk of default
- CHILE: From new normality to Battle of Santiago
- URUGUAY: Opposition slams sweeping reform bill
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Facing Covid-19 peak
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- PANAMA: Cortizo on defensive as allegations multiply
- COSTA RICA: Alvarado marks midway point
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Fujimori capitalises on Peru’s coronavirus prison crisis
- Quotes of the week
Of all the convoluted schemes and stratagems, some real and some imagined, devised to topple the Bolivarian government since it took root in Venezuela in 1999, nothing surpasses in implausibility the plot that unfolded on 3 and 4 May.
Weekly Report - 30 April 2020 (WR-20-17)
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- Moro plunges knife into Bolsonaro as Covid-19 swamps Brazil
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Piñera inflames tensions
- TRACKING TRENDS
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: OECD membership provides silver lining
- VENEZUELA: Maduro rolls the dice in oil sector
- PERU: Internal tensions over pandemic response
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Government accused of misusing financial aid
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: From toughest lockdown to toughest crackdown
- GUATEMALA: Giammattei marks first 100 days
- HAITI: Reopening textile sector sows new fears
POSTSCRIPT
- Paraguay’s pandemic response affected by corruption
- Quotes of the week
The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and accompanying economic crisis have been unfolding to a background of political tensions in Brazil.
Weekly Report - 23 April 2020 (WR-20-16)
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- Brazil gripped by disunity in time of crisis
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Reverting to hardball debt renegotiation tactics
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- ECUADOR: Moreno gains respite but not for long
- COLOMBIA: Power struggle could undermine virus response
- PERU: Uncertain prospects for primary elections
- VENEZUELA: Oil crash turns up the heat
- BOLIVIA: Political rivalry shapes pandemic response
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Prisoner amnesty gets go ahead
- MEXICO: Economic response still fuelling controversy
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele issues further challenge to top court
- HONDURAS: Anti-corruption groups warn of another epidemic
- NICARAGUA: Health strategy continues to raise eyebrows
POSTSCRIPT
- Guyana’s oil attracts strong interest despite price collapse
- Quotes of the week
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been compared more than once in recent days to the captain of the Titanic, as he sails through the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic with an overt disregard for the risks the disease represents to the life and wellbeing of the population he was elected to lead.
Weekly Report - 16 April 2020 (WR-20-15)
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- Colombia’s peace process faces multiple threats
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Complex crisis deepens humanitarian dangers
- BOLIVIA: Strict measures take their toll
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- REGION: Argentina and Uruguay lead the way
- BRAZIL: The fight for the last word
- BRAZIL: Deforestation continues to rise
- ARGENTINA: Fernández extends Covid-19 lockdown measures
- CHILE: Controversy over prisoners
- CHILE-ARGENTINA: A coronavirus competition
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Morena governors voice dissent
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Elections pushed back
- GUATEMALA: Exposing fiscal vulnerabilities
POSTSCRIPT
- When troubles come
- Quotes of the week
Despite the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), in place since 1 April, the outlook for a reduction in violence in Colombia is not encouraging.
Weekly Report - 09 April 2020 (WR-20-14)
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- Correa convicted amid coronavirus crisis
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Military tensions dominate the agenda
- BOLIVIA: Border blockade stirs controversy
- TRACKING TRENDS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Two Covid-19 embarrassments
- CHILE: Caught between two crises
- BRAZIL: Too little, too slow?
- TRACKING TRENDS
MEXICO
- MEXICO: Economic rescue plan falls flat
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Human rights in the time of lockdown
- CUBA: Calls mount for US to suspend embargo
- TRACKING TRENDS
POSTSCRIPT
- Peru: radical isolation paying off?
- Quotes of the week
Ecuador’s former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017) was convicted in absentia on 7 April for aggravated bribery, specifically misusing his position to run a criminal network bent on obtaining bribes from firms to secure infrastructure works contracts.
Weekly Report - 02 April 2020 (WR-20-13)
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- US goes all out to topple Maduro
Andean Countries
- COLOMBIA: Slow progress towards ceasefire
- PERU: Tough tactics paying dividends
- ECUADOR: Indigenous clash with Moreno over coronavirus
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Protecting the vulnerable?
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro’s pandemic politics
- ARGENTINA: Adjusting plans due to ‘Coronacrisis’
- URUGUAY: Fate deals Lacalle Pou tough hand
- CHILE: Copper industry in poor health
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico
- MEXICO: López Obrador calls for cessation of hostilities
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Hernández challenged as protesters defy curfew
- COSTA RICA-REGION: Tourism sector declares state of emergency
Postscript
- Bolivian opposition wary as Áñez tightens restrictions
- Quotes of the week
The US government led by President Donald Trump is ramping up efforts to topple Nicolás Maduro just as Venezuela is poised to plunge unprepared into a public health crisis of unparalleled proportions.
Weekly Report - 26 March 2020 (WR-20-12)
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- Coronavirus crisis causes electoral uncertainty
Andean Countries
- VENEZUELA: Divisions over combating coronavirus crisis
- COLOMBIA: Duque’s tactics drive discontent
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: No end in sight for economic angst
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro’s political isolation
Mexico
- MEXICO: Consultations not just coronavirus shattering investor confidence
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA-REGION: Bucking the trend
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Paraguay goes for broke to overcome pandemic
- Quotes of the week
The coronavirus pandemic has spawned much debate, and no shortage of media coverage, about the threat posed to fragile public health systems across Latin America and the likely economic impact on the region.
Weekly Report - 19 March 2020 (WR-20-11)
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- As region goes into lockdown, two populists play by own rules
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- REGION: Seeking a coordinated strategy to face pandemic
- BRAZIL: Trying to cushion the economy
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA: Border closure risks deepening crisis
- BOLIVIA: New uncertainty over electoral schedule
- ECUADOR-PERU: Taking drastic action
MEXICO
- MEXICO: US strangles CJNG
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Opposition sweeps municipal polls
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele takes bold steps to prevent spread
- HAITI: Third time lucky for Moïse?
POSTSCRIPT
- Guyana election result up in the air
- Quotes of the week
As the vast majority of Latin American countries are adopting drastic measures in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), the leaders of the region’s two economic powerhouses, jointly accounting for more than half of its population, are bucking the trend in defiance of their own government’s health strategies.
Weekly Report - 12 March 2020 (WR-20-10)
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- Region reels as coronavirus spreads and oil plunges
Andean Countries
- VENEZUELA: Electoral talks suffer setback
- BOLIVIA: Áñez haunted by human rights failings
- COLOMBIA: Vote-buying scandal continues to escalate
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Back in the US
- PARAGUAY: Furore over footballer with fake passport
- CHILE: Protests back with a bang
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico
- MEXICO: Women’s protests compound López Obrador’s problems
- MEXICO: Concerns swirl around Tren Maya
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- GUYANA: Electoral uncertainty fuels tensions
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Coronavirus impact on tourism will hit Caribbean hard
- Quotes of the week
Conjecture abounds when it comes to the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Weekly Report - 05 March 2020 (WR-20-09)
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- Lacalle Pou and Fernández brace for action
Andean Countries
- COLOMBIA: Competing priorities as Duque meets Trump
- VENEZUELA: Renewed clashes seem to be imminent
- BOLIVIA: Electoral fraud bombshell reopens debate
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Post-Carnival reality hits
- CHILE: Facing a ‘hot’ month
Mexico
- MEXICO: Hoping to avoid a repeat of 2009
Central America & Caribbean
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Medina tries to get PLD back on track
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele sparks fresh conflict with congress
- NICARAGUA: Opposition launches new national coalition
Postscript
- Mexico’s Morena riven by internal power dispute
- Quotes of the week
Fifteen years of left-wing governments came to an end in Uruguay on 1 March with the investiture of Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou as president.
Weekly Report - 27 February 2020 (WR-20-08)
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- Hispaniola convulsed by violence and protests
Andean Countries
- COLOMBIA: Corruption claims add to Duque’s troubles
- BOLIVIA: Morales still the centre of attention
- VENEZUELA: Military loses full control over Pdvsa
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- BRAZIL: Ceará Carnival marred by protesting police
- BRAZIL: Is Petrobras out of the woods?
- PARAGUAY: Combating ‘dirty money’ in electoral campaigns
- ARGENTINA: Advancing with debt renegotiation strategy
Mexico
- MEXICO: López Obrador knocked off stride by femicides
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- NICARAGUA: Indigenous attacks spark fresh human rights concerns
Postscript
- Ecuador’s top court rejects anti-mining consultation
- Quotes of the week
“A warlike situation” and “an attack against democracy”.
Weekly Report - 20 February 2020 (WR-20-07)
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- Moreno delivers final blow to Correa’s legacy
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: Maduro flexes some military muscle
- BOLIVIA: TSE verdict set to shake up electoral contest
- COLOMBIA: ELN power play hits its mark
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: IMF agrees debt is unsustainable
- BRAZIL: Military bolstered by ministerial musical chairs
- URUGUAY: FA consigned to opposition
- CHILE: Rival rallies face off ahead of plebiscite
MEXICO
- MEXICO: From prosperity to barbarity in Guanajuato
- TRACKING TRENDS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- COSTA RICA: Seeking to plug the gap
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele ratchets up pressure on deputies
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Election suspension fuels political tensions
- GUATEMALA: Giammattei tested over human rights
POSTSCRIPT
- Heads roll over Odebrecht scandal in Peru
- Quotes of the week
Not since Lucio Gutiérrez (2003-2005) met George W Bush on 11 February 2003 had an Ecuadorean president been invited to the White House.
Weekly Report - 13 February 2020 (WR-20-06)
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- Bukele orders military takeover of congress
Andean Countries
- BOLIVIA: UN rapporteur warns of judicial persecution
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó bids to revive pressure upon return
- COLOMBIA: Duque faces dual crises
- PERU: Fresh twist to Odebrecht scandal
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Guzmán demands sustainable solution to debt
- CHILE: Blumel blasts opposition over impeachment
- BRAZIL: More of the same in the Amazon
- BRAZIL: ‘Miliciano’ killed, questions raised
Mexico
- MEXICO: Femicide proposal stirs controversy
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Cortizo faces first ministerial departures
- HONDURAS: Launch of first-ever ‘anti-corruption’ observatory
- NICARAGUA: National daily survives ‘economic asphyxiation’
Postscript
- Fariñas detention sparks concerns in Cuba
- Quotes of the week
The image of heavily armed soldiers stationed inside and outside El Salvador’s legislative assembly on 9 February had a chilling effect on democrats across the region and beyond.
Weekly Report - 6 February 2020 (WR-20-05)
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- Argentina gets divine help in debt renegotiation
Andean Countries
- PERU: Vizcarra seeks common cause with congress
- BOLIVIA: Divisions deepen in presidential race
- VENEZUELA: Increasing desperation for sanctions dialogue
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Call for end of violence falls on deaf ears
- PARAGUAY-BRAZIL: Friendly neighbours
- BRAZIL: Coronavirus causes Carnival concerns
- BRAZIL: Still fawning over Trump
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico
- MEXICO: López Obrador extols alternative to growth
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Pressure grows on Moïse over elections
- COSTA RICA: Elections expose frustration with national parties
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Giammattei and Bukele hail ‘historic’ agreements
- Quotes of the week
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández concluded a six-day tour of Europe on 5 February, taking him from Vatican City, where he was welcomed by Pope Francis, who organised a forum on economic solidarity that looked tailor-made for his native country, to the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Weekly Report - 30 January 2020 (WR-20-04)
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- PERU: Fujimoristas pummelled as Peru’s congress fragments
Andean Countries
- BOLIVIA: Áñez candidacy ignites electoral tensions
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó hopes to end tour on a high
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Initiating negotiations with the IMF
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro exceeds expectations
- BRAZIL: Election talk
- CHILE: Government under scrutiny as IACHR arrives
Mexico
- MEXICO: Morena consumed by power tussle
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Anti-corruption efforts receive setback
Postscript
- Alvarado looking for electoral boost in Costa Rica
- Quotes of the week
Peru’s congressional elections on 26 January produced a clear loser: the right-wing Fuerza Popular (FP, Fujimoristas) was eviscerated.
Weekly Report - 23 January 2020 (WR-20-03)
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- López Obrador falling short of expectations
Andean Countries
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó seeks to rally foreign support
- COLOMBIA: Resurgent protests bring further uncertainty
- BOLIVIA: Violence avoided, but tensions higher than ever
- ECUADOR: Moreno castigates Conaie over protests
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- PARAGUAY: Government shaken by mass prison break
- CHILE: Polls pummel Piñera
- ARGENTINA: Rolling out social and anti-inflationary measures
- BRAZIL: Government falls foul of controversy again
- URUGUAY: Race for Montevideo produces divisions
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Giammattei takes office – more of the same?
Postscript
- Peruvians prepare to go to polls in open contest
- Quotes of the week
In the space of one week, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has seen two figures published exposing his government’s failure to deliver on his most ambitious promises.
Weekly Report - 16 January 2020 (WR-20-02)
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- Colombian spying scandal rocks Duque government
Andean Countries
- VENEZUELA: US amplifies pressure on Maduro
- PERU: Vizcarra vindicated but scant interest in elections
- BOLIVIA: Áñez making use of judicial action
- TRACKING TRENDS
Brazil & Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Fernández sets out stall
- PARAGUAY: Crisis accelerates political battle for Asunción
- BRAZIL: Divisive culture wars resurface
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico
- MEXICO: Government on back foot over healthcare plan
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Heading back into familiar uncertainty
- NICARAGUA: More mixed signals from Ortega
- TRACKING TRENDS
Postscript
- Embarrassing episode for Ecuador’s Moreno
- Quotes of the week
Colombians are no strangers to spying scandals.
Weekly Report - 09 January 2020 (WR-20-01)
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- Maduro takes the plunge in Venezuela
Andean Countries
- COLOMBIA: Security policy under scrutiny
- BOLIVIA: Áñez under pressure on all fronts
- PERU: Top court to back dissolution of congress
- ECUADOR: Tax reform takes effect, dividing indigenous
Brazil & Southern Cone
- CHILE: Piñera continues to grapple with social crisis
- ARGENTINA: Fernández wrestles with economic crisis
- URUGUAY: Lacalle Pou seeks to make his mark
- BRAZIL: No New Year’s resolutions
- TRACKING TRENDS
Mexico
- MEXICO: López Obrador promises results
- MEXICO: EZLN challenges López Obrador
- TRACKING TRENDS
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Cortizo outlines priorities for 2020
Postscript
- Díaz-Canel rallies Cubans
- Quotes of the week
Nicolás Maduro bided his time before making his move.