LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 20 May 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: New austerity package risks renewed upheaval
- In brief: AT&T closes Venezuela’s main television service
On 19 May, Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno announced a new package of fiscal austerity measures, proposing to reduce public spending by over US$4bn.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 19 May 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Iranian oil support raises tensions
- In brief: Foreign investment falls in Colombia
On 18 May, a representative of Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised as Venezuela’s interim president by over 50 countries, called for international action to block the impending arrival of five Iranian oil tankers.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 18 May 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Emergency laws leave unresolved issues
- In brief: Production declines sharply in Peru
On 17 May national assembly (AN) president, César Litardo, lauded the approval of amended versions of two emergency laws, claiming that these would alleviate Ecuador’s health and economic crises without placing an excessive financial burden on the public.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 15 May 2020
Click here for full report
- Duque deals blow to dissident Farc but suffers setback
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó fighting for survival
- PERU: Quarantine pressure starting to show
- BOLIVIA: Pandemic policies under fire
- TRACKING TRENDS
From LatinNews Daily
- COLOMBIA: Cuba blacklisting puts peace prospects at risk
- In brief: Ecuador’s government seeks compromise to pass emergency law
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.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 14 May 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: University budget ruling impedes austerity agenda
- In brief: Oil production continues to fall in Venezuela
On 13 May, Ecuador’s constitutional court (CC) ordered the government led by President Lenín Moreno to suspend planned budget cuts to public universities while it rules on the constitutionality of the measure.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 13 May 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Misinformation decree sparks free speech concerns
- In brief: Colombia’s oil profits crash in first quarter
On 12 May, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) special rapporteur for freedom of expression, Edison Lanza, warned Bolivia’s interim government that its recent decree criminalising the spread of ‘misinformation’ violates international human rights standards.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 12 May 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Growing pressure to loosen lockdown
- In brief: Ecuador’s municipalities demand funding
On 11 May, Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Áñez, confirmed that the country had entered the ‘dynamic quarantine’ stage of its coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic response, intended to alleviate the considerable social and economic pressure caused by quarantine restrictions.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 11 May 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó resists pressure from allies
- In brief: Ecuador resumes oil production
From Latin American Weekly Report
- COLOMBIA: End of ceasefire dashes peace prospects
- BOLIVIA: Election date dispute taken to court
- Fujimori capitalises on Peru’s coronavirus prison crisis
On 9 May, Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised as Venezuela’s interim president by over 50 countries, warned that the ‘Operation Gideon’ attacks had been manipulated by the Nicolás Maduro government to justify increased repression of its opponents.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 07 May 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Economic reactivation to override health concerns
- In brief: Colombia announces new business protections
From Security & Strategic Review
- COLOMBIA: Erratic ELN brings confusion to peace process
- VENEZUELA: Drug charge bombshell escalates political crisis
- BOLIVIA: Border crisis exemplifies panicked pandemic response
On 6 May, Peru’s interior minister, Gastón Rodríguez, confirmed that the first phase of the country’s economic reactivation strategy will begin as planned on 8 May, despite concerns about the risk to public health, as the death toll from coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to rise.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 06 May 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Military leadership faces espionage allegations
- In brief: Peru’s exports hit hard by Covid-19
On 5 May Senator Antonio Sanguino, of Colombia's leftist opposition Alianza Verde (AV) party, claimed that illegal military spying operations had been “ordered and advanced by the army intelligence leadership”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 05 May 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: US nationals detained over raids
- In brief: Creditors accept Ecuador’s debt deferral request
On 4 May, Venezuela’s armed forces announced the arrest of 13 armed men, including two US nationals, involved in efforts to overthrow the Nicolás Maduro government.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 04 May 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Invasion allegations spark controversy
- In brief: IMF approves emergency credit for Ecuador
On 3 May, Venezuela’s de facto interior minister, Néstor Reverol, reported that the country’s armed forces had thwarted an attempted “invasion by sea”, allegedly carried out by “terrorist mercenaries” on behalf of the domestic political opposition and the US government.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 01 May 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Electoral law ignites tensions
- In brief: Interest rates cut further in Colombia
From Latin American Weekly Report
- COLOMBIA: OECD membership provides silver lining
- VENEZUELA: Maduro rolls the dice in oil sector
- PERU: Internal tensions over pandemic response
On 30 April, Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Áñez, denounced the efforts of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) opposition party to reschedule the country’s delayed general election as “a very serious attack against the health and lives of Bolivians”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 30 April 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Legislature presses for urgent elections
- In brief: Oil spill brings indigenous lawsuit in Ecuador
On 29 April, Bolivia’s chamber of deputies approved a bill proposing that the country’s delayed general election be held by 2 August at the latest.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 29 April 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Demobilisation dialogue put back on the table
- In brief: Ecuador requests further debt reprofiling
From Latin American Economy & Business
- VENEZUELA: The continued importance of trade with China
- BOLIVIA: Future of state-owned companies up for debate
- ECUADOR: Tricky path to a US trade agreement
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
On 28 April, the Colombian government issued a decree instructing its high commissioner for peace, Miguel Ceballos, to begin talks with four organised armed groups, to evaluate their appetite for a peaceful demobilisation process.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 28 April 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Local authorities resist efforts to relax quarantine
- In brief: Venezuela incrases minimum wage over food crisis
On 27 April, Guayaquil Mayor Cynthia Viteri criticised the Ecuadorean government’s decision to end the ‘social isolation’ stage of its coronavirus (Covid-19) response strategy, and insisted that Guayaquil – Ecuador’s largest city, and the epicentre of the country’s Covid-19 outbreak - would maintain the strictest controls possible.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 27 April 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Food riots prompt price controls
- In brief: Peru offers support for small businesses
On 25 April, the de facto Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro announced new price controls on a range of food products, as shortages have led to protests and looting in parts of the country.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 24 April 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Vizcarra seeks executive control of economic policy
- In brief: Colombia secures IDB credit
From Latin American Weekly Report
- 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
On 23 April, Peru’s President Martín Vizcarra asked the national congress to approve the transfer of legislative powers over emergency fiscal policy to his executive.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 23 April 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: MAS demands new election date
- In brief: S&P downgrades Ecuador’s credit rating
On 22 April, Bolivia’s senate president, Eva Copa, of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party, insisted that the country’s general election must be held “as soon as possible”, and by the end of the year without fail.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 22 April 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Oil price crash threatens to accelerate national crisis
- In brief: Bolivia braces for natural gas price hit
On 21 April, Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, said that his government is “prepared” for the challenges posed by plunging international oil prices.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 21 April 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Surge in Covid-19 cases exposes healthcare shortcomings
- In brief: Bolivia turns back to the IMF
On 20 April, Peru’s President Martín Vizcarra reported that the country’s intensive care units (ICUs) are close to capacity, and warned that “these coming weeks will be the most difficult of the disease”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 20 April 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Debt deferral buys Moreno time
- In brief: Venezuela’s central bank condemns transfer of state resources
On 17 April, Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno reported that private bondholders had accepted his government’s request to defer interest payments on the country’s debt until 15 August.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 17 April 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Food shortages spark widespread unrest
- In brief: Peru issues bonds to finance emergency stimulus
From Latin American Weekly Report
- Colombia’s peace process faces multiple threats
- VENEZUELA: Complex crisis deepens humanitarian dangers
- BOLIVIA: Strict measures take their toll
- When troubles come
On 16 April, Bogotá’s mayor, Claudia López, apologised for failures in the delivery of food and financial aid, which have led to protests and riots in cities across Colombia, and she appealed for the national government to offer more support to those affected.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 16 April 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Gov’t seeks compromise on emergency proposals
- In brief: Colombia’s Ecopetrol seeks contingency credit
On 15 April, Ecuador’s Economy & Finance Minister Richard Martínez was questioned by the national assembly (AN) over the government’s latest emergency economic measures, and reached an agreement to hold formal negotiations with the legislature to deliver a collaborative solution.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 15 April 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Quarantine extended, but economic pressure eased
- In brief: Peru expects economy to contract in 2020
On 14 April, Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Áñez, declared an extension of the national quarantine until 30 April and announced increased financial support for businesses and vulnerable people.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 14 April 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Emergency proposals widely rejected
- In brief: Peru cuts interest rates to an all-time low
From Latin American Weekly Report
- VENEZUELA: Military tensions dominate the agenda
- BOLIVIA: Border blockade stirs controversy
- TRACKING TRENDS
- Peru: radical isolation paying off?
On 12 April, Ecuador’s umbrella trade union movement Frente Unitario de Trabajadores (FUT) and the chamber of industry & production (CIP) issued a joint statement condemning the government’s response to the country’s health, economic, and social emergencies.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 09 April 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Appealing for debt relief to escape health crisis
- In brief: Humanitarian aid arrives in Venezuela
On 8 April, the Ecuadorean government asked private bondholders to accept a deferral of interest repayments on the country’s debt until 15 August, as the health emergency continues to escalate.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 08 April 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Health emergency stokes political tensions
- In brief: Colombia seeks IMF loan to boost emergency budget
On 7 April, Bolivia’s interior minister, Arturo Murillo, accused the interim government’s opponents of politicising the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and of seeking to undermine the containment measures implemented by the interim administration led by Jeanine Áñez.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 07 April 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Duque calms concerns with quarantine extension
- In brief: Peru offers emergency business loans
On 6 April, Colombia’s President Iván Duque announced the extension of the country’s mandatory quarantine until 26 April.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 06 April 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Military tensions continue to rise
- In brief: Colombia receives World Bank emergency loan
From Security & Strategic Review
- Migrants pay the price for security shortcomings
- COLOMBIA: Danger escalates for social leaders
- PERU: New challenges in the fight against illegal mining
On 3 April, Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, ordered the mobilisation of artillery in various strategic locations, in preparation for “violent armed actions against Venezuela, perpetrated by the US”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 03 April 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Moreno faces facts on health crisis
- In brief: Venezuela asks Eclac to back sanctions suspension
From Latin American Weekly Report
- COLOMBIA: Slow progress towards ceasefire
- PERU: Tough tactics paying dividends
- ECUADOR: Indigenous clash with Moreno over coronavirus
- Bolivian opposition wary as Áñez tightens restrictions
On 2 April, Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno acknowledged that the official figures on coronavirus (Covid-19) deaths are significantly understating the extent of the country’s health emergency and admitted that his government has been unable to cope with the severity of this “crisis”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 02 April 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Maduro condemns military aggression
- In brief: Food prices drive increased inflation in Peru
On 1 April, Venezuela’s de facto president Nicolás Maduro condemned the deployment of US counter-drug trafficking forces off the coast of Venezuela as an attempt to threaten military action against his government.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 01 April 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: US proposes political transition framework
- In brief: Colombia’s unemployment up in February
On 31 March US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo presented a ‘Framework for a Peaceful Democratic Transition in Venezuela’, in which both claimants to the country's presidency – de facto president Nicolás Maduro and US-recognised challenger Juan Guaidó - would step aside to allow a new council of state to preside over presidential elections.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 31 March 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Duque reluctant to join ceasefire
- In brief: Peru to launch massive economic recovery package
On 30 March, Colombia’s high commissioner for peace, Miguel Ceballos, confirmed that the government led by President Iván Duque would not join the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) guerrilla group in declaring a ceasefire, stating that the ELN’s commitment “is not enough” to secure renewed peace negotiations.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 30 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó pitches power-sharing deal, excluding Maduro
- In brief: Colombia’s central bank cuts interest rates
On 28 March, Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised as interim president by over 50 countries, called for the formation of a “national emergency government” to tackle the effects of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the country.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 27 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: US charges Maduro with narco-terrorism
- In brief: Peru announces funds for ‘economic revival phase’
From Latin American Weekly Report
- Coronavirus crisis causes electoral uncertainty
- VENEZUELA: Divisions over combating coronavirus crisis
- COLOMBIA: Duque’s tactics drive discontent
On 26 March, US Attorney General William Barr issued charges of “narco-terrorism” against Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, and other leading government officials, offering a US$15m reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 26 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Maduro appeals for Covid-19 co-operation
- In brief: Protections for the vulnerable in Colombia’s capital
On 25 March, Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, called for a dialogue with the political opposition, in order to prepare a co-operative response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 25 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: UN calls for sanctions relief
- In brief: IMF approves Ecuador emergency loan
On 24 March, the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called for a suspension of international economic sanctions on Venezuela, to enable its struggling healthcare system to fight the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 24 March 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Moreno battles to repay debtors
- In brief: EU backs Venezuela’s IMF loan request
On 23 March, Ecuador’s economy & finance minister Richard Martínez reported that the government is working to secure US$2bn in international loans, to enable the country to continue repaying its external debtors.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 23 March 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Election delay stirs up tensions
- In brief: Peru’s emergency subsidy expanded
From Latin American Economy & Business
- REGION: Facing major challenges to meet clean palm oil targets
- COLOMBIA: Technological innovation and transport: the trials of Uber in Colombia
On 21 March, Bolivia’s electoral tribunal (TSE) announced that it had suspended the electoral calendar ahead of the general election scheduled for 3 May, in response to the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 20 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: International aid contest continues
- In brief: Interest rates cut in Peru
From Latin American Weekly Report
- COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA: Border closure risks deepening crisis
- BOLIVIA: New uncertainty over electoral schedule
- ECUADOR-PERU: Taking drastic action
On 19 March, Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised as interim president by more than 50 countries, appealed for financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help fight the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 19 March 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Security forces reject appeal for emergency ceasefire
- In brief: Bolivia offers economic protection during health emergency
On 18 March, Colombia’s defence minister, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, confirmed that the armed forces and police will continue all operations throughout the country, despite the declaration of a state of emergency over the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 18 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Political stalemate undermines crisis response
- In brief: Ecuador seeks to relieve economic burden
On 17 March, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected a request by Venezuela’s de facto government led by Nicolás Maduro for US$5bn in funding to help tackle the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in the country.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 17 March 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: State of emergency brings strict controls
- In brief: Colombian peso hits new low
On 16 March, Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno declared a national state of emergency in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 16 March 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA: Border shut down over virus fears
- In brief: International support for Ecuador’s economy
On 13 March, Colombia’s President Iván Duque announced that he had decided to close the country’s 2,219km border with Venezuela, in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 13 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Covid-19 co-opted into power struggle
- In brief: IMF stands by Ecuador amid economic crisis
From Latin American Weekly Report
- Region reels as coronavirus spreads and oil plunges
- VENEZUELA: Electoral talks suffer setback
- BOLIVIA: Áñez haunted by human rights failings
- COLOMBIA: Vote-buying scandal continues to escalate
On 12 March, Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, declared a national health emergency in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and appealed for the US to lift the economic sanctions against the country for reasons of public health.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 12 March 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Hostile reception for emergency reform package
- In brief: Peru’s indigenous groups call for OECD action
On 11 March, Ecuador’s economy minister, Richard Martínez, presented to the national assembly (AN) the government’s latest package of economic measures, intended to tackle the country’s deepening economic crisis.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 11 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Security forces suppress Guaidó’s flagship protest
- In brief: Economic overhaul risks renewed protests in Ecuador
On 10 March, a major opposition demonstration in Caracas was blocked by Venezuela’s state security forces and dispersed with tear gas.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 10 March 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: New evidence re-ignites Duque corruption scandal
- In brief: Ecuador’s energy minister resigns amid economic struggles
On 9 March, Colombian Deputy Fabián Díaz Plata appealed for a new investigation into alleged vote-buying by President Iván Duque, in light of recent evidence linking the president to suspected drug trafficker, José Guillermo ‘Ñeñe’ Hernández.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 09 March 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Áñez refuses to dismiss censured defence minister
- In brief: Peru wins investment dispute
On 8 March, Bolivia’s interim president Jeanine Áñez confirmed that defence minister Fernando López will remain in his post, despite a vote of censure against him in the legislature.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 06 March 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Police suppress anti-government protests
- In brief: Deflation continues in Ecuador
From Latin American Weekly Report
- COLOMBIA: Competing priorities as Duque meets Trump
- VENEZUELA: Renewed clashes seem to be imminent
- BOLIVIA: Electoral fraud bombshell reopens debate
On 5 March, a special session of the Bolivian senate, held in the city of El Alto, had to be abandoned after widespread protests against the interim government were suppressed with tear gas.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 05 March 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Government under fire for human rights failings
- In brief: CAF offers Venezuela debt deal
On 4 March, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst told the UN Human Rights Council that the Colombian government is still not doing enough to protect social leaders from violence.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 04 March 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Corruption scandals plague Vizcarra
- In brief: Export growth for Colombia
On 3 March, the president of Peru’s Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos confirmed that he would seek “extended explanations” from the two latest government ministers to face corruption allegations.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 03 March 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Trump turns up pressure for coca eradication
- In brief: Unemployment in Bolivia rises
On 2 March, Colombia’s President Iván Duque met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 02 March 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Armed attack on opposition protest
- In brief: Colombia’s unemployment continues to rise
On 29 February, at least six people were injured in the city of Barquisimeto, Lara state, during an armed attack on a demonstration led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised as Venezuela’s interim president by over 50 countries.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 28 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Duque hits back at UN criticisms
- In brief: Currency deregulation continues in Venezuela
From Latin American Weekly Report
- COLOMBIA: Corruption claims add to Duque’s troubles
- BOLIVIA: Morales still the centre of attention
- VENEZUELA: Military loses full control over Pdvsa
- TRACKING TRENDS
- Ecuador’s top court rejects anti-mining consultation
On 27 February, Colombia’s President Iván Duque condemned a report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the country’s security crisis as “an interference in sovereignty”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 27 February 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Pumari campaign launch sparks protests
- In brief: Petroperú appoint interim president after resignation scandal
On 26 February, vice-presidential candidate Marco Pumari (Creemos) had to be evacuated by the police after protesters gathered outside his campaign launch event ahead of Bolivia's 3 May general election.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 26 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Farc appeal for government protection
- In brief: Peru releases poverty map
On 25 February, the president of the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (Farc) political party, Rodrigo Londoño (‘Timochenko’), called for Colombia’s President Iván Duque to “stop the genocide” of social leaders and former Farc guerrillas.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 25 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Duque investigated over vote-buying allegations
- In brief: Petroperú announces new loan for Talara refinery
On 24 February, Colombia’s attorney general Francisco Barbosa confirmed that President Iván Duque will be investigated for electoral fraud and corruption, following former legislator Aída Merlano’s allegations of his involvement in an illicit vote-buying network.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 24 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Duque heralds security success
- In brief: Constitutional court rejects mining consultation in Ecuador
On 21 February, Colombia’s President Iván Duque celebrated the arrest of José Albeiro ‘Contador’ Arrigui , describing him as “one of the most feared” drug traffickers in Colombia.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 21 February 2020
Click here for full report
- Moreno delivers final blow to Correa’s legacy
- VENEZUELA: Maduro flexes some military muscle
- BOLIVIA: TSE verdict set to shake up electoral contest
- COLOMBIA: ELN power play hits its mark
- Heads roll over Odebrecht scandal in Peru
From LatinNews Daily
- BOLIVIA: Morales disqualified, but Arce survives
- In brief: Colombia’s Ecopetrol announces construction of solar park
Not since Lucio Gutiérrez (2003-2005) met George W Bush on 11 February 2003 had an Ecuadorean president been invited to the White House.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 20 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Emergency decree to restructure oil sector
- In brief: Peru approves strategy for circular economy
On 19 February, Venezuela’s de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, declared a national “energy emergency” and outlined plans to restructure the country’s oil sector.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 19 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Sanctions imposed on Maduro’s Russian allies
- In brief: Ecuador’s exporters on the ‘alert’ over coronavirus
On 18 February, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) announced sanctions against Rosneft Trading, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft for maintaining business dealings with Venezuela's de facto goverment led by Nicolás Maduro.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 18 February 2020
On 17 February, Bolivia’s electoral tribunal (TSE) announced that 13 electoral candidates will face further scrutiny before they can be approved, including Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) presidential candidate Luis Arce, and former president Evo Morales (2006-2019).
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 17 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: ELN action delivers nationwide disruption
- In brief: Peru’s 2019 growth the lowest in a decade
On 14 February, the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) guerrilla group launched a 72-hour ‘armed strike’, disrupting the movement of people and goods in regions across Colombia.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 14 February 2020
Click here for full report
- 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
From LatinNews Daily
- PERU: Odebrecht scandal claims four more ministers
- In brief: Venezuelan gold reserves down
Diego García-Sayán, the United Nations (UN) special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, voiced concern on 6 February over “the use of judicial and fiscal institutions for the purpose of political persecution” in Bolivia.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 13 February 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Moreno’s US visit boosts trade deal hopes
- In brief: Venezuelan oil production continues to decline
On 12 February, Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where discussions centred on a potential trade agreement between the two countries.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 12 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó’s return met with hostility
- In brief: Peru-Australia FTA takes affect
On 11 February, Venezuela’s opposition leader and internationally recognised interim president Juan Guaidó re-entered the country after the conclusion of his 25-day international tour, and called for renewed protests against the de facto government led by Nicolás Maduro.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 11 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Government prepares for return to conflict with ELN
- In brief: Bolivia’s exports dominated by traditional sectors
From Security & Strategic Review
- Paramilitary resurgence going under the radar
- PERU: Transnational turn for war on drug trafficking
On 10 February Colombia’s defence minister, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, promised a “total offensive” against the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) guerrillas, in response to the armed group’s declaration of a 72-hour nationwide ‘armed strike’, beginning on 14 February.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 10 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Russia to reinforce support for Maduro
- In brief: Peru claims US$1.2bn lawsuit is unfounded
On 7 February, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov met with Venezuela’s de facto president Nicolás Maduro, announcing plans to deepen co-operation with Venezuela and to strengthen Russia’s support for Maduro’s government.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 07 February 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Merlano allegations add to Duque’s woes
- In brief: New report estimates cost of tax evasion in Peru
From Latin American Weekly Report
- PERU: Vizcarra seeks common cause with congress
- BOLIVIA: Divisions deepen in presidential race
- VENEZUELA: Increasing desperation for sanctions dialogue
On 6 February, Colombian fugitive and former national deputy (2014-2018) Aída Merlano told a Venezuelan court that a number of influential political figures - including Colombia’s President Iván Duque – had conspired to assassinate her, to silence accusations of political corruption.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 06 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó finally secures Trump meeting
- In brief: Colombia inflation figures released
On 5 February, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognised by the US government as Venezuela’s interim president, met with US President Donald Trump as part of an official visit to the White House.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 05 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Human rights delegation denied access
- In brief: Venezuela’s central bank releases inflation figures
On 4 January, a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) was prevented from boarding a flight to Venezuela, on the orders of de facto president Nicolás Maduro’s government.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 04 February 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Candidates finalised for wide-open election
- In brief: Colombia’s gov’t hails ‘reactivation’ of hydrocarbons sector
On 3 February, eight presidential candidates were presented to Bolivia’s electoral tribunal (TSE), meeting the registration deadline for the country’s 3 May elections.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 03 February 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Maduro courts Trump with judicial reform plan
- In brief: Ecuador’s gov’t highlights success in attracting investment
On 31 January, Venezuela’s de facto President Nicolás Maduro announced plans to create a high commission to overhaul the country’s judicial system, as part of an ongoing effort to “change Venezuela in all its aspects”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 31 January 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Fujimoristas pummelled as Peru’s congress fragments
- BOLIVIA: Áñez candidacy ignites electoral tensions
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó hopes to end tour on a high
- TRACKING TRENDS
From LatinNews Daily
- BOLIVIA: Morales plans to run in legislative elections
- In brief: Peru reports increased investment in mining
Peru’s congressional elections on 26 January produced a clear loser: the right-wing Fuerza Popular (FP, Fujimoristas) was eviscerated.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 30 January 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Maduro seeks to force diplomatic relations with Colombia
- In brief: Remittances reach record levels in Colombia
On 29 January, Venezuela’s de facto president Nicolás Maduro offered to resume diplomatic relations with Colombia, in order to facilitate the extradition of former Colombian legislator Aída Merlano, who is wanted for electoral fraud.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 29 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: MAS candidate receives summons over corruption case
- In brief: Ecuador begins trade negotiations with Mexico
On 28 January, the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) presidential candidate, Luis Arce, returned to Bolivia to begin his campaign but was immediately summoned to face the attorney general’s office over allegations of embezzlement during his time as economy minister (2006-2019).
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 28 January 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Voters decisively back anti-corruption agenda
- In brief: Colombia announces new price controls on medicines
On 27 January, congressional candidate Daniel Urresti declared the result of Peru’s legislative elections held on 26 January a victory for the forces of anti-corruption, as populist and centrist parties prospered.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 27 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Áñez confirms presidential candidacy
- In brief: Record foreign investment in 2019 for Colombia’s capital
FROM LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMY & BUSINESS
- Does poverty drive protest?
- ECUADOR: The costs of protest: Ecuador digs itself into a deeper economic hole
- COLOMBIA: Chinese companies win Bogotá Metro contract
- Economic Highlights
On 24 January, the leader of Bolivia’s interim government Jeanine Áñez confirmed that she will stand in May’s presidential elections.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 24 January 2020
Click here for full report
- 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
- Peruvians prepare to go to polls in open contest
From LatinNews Daily
- PERU: Vizcarra expected to benefit from fragmented elections
- In brief: Peru’s copper exports down in first 11 months of 2019
Juan Guaidó is intent on capitalising on the publicity afforded by the clumsy attempt to prevent him from assuming the presidency of the national assembly for a second straight year by going on a high-profile foreign tour in defiance of a legal bar on his leaving Venezuela.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 23 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Growing speculation over Áñez candidacy
- In brief: Colombia issues US$1.84bn in bonds
On 22 January, several ministers in Jeanine Áñez’s interim government in Bolivia voiced their support for Áñez as a potential presidential candidate, in response to widespread speculation on Twitter about the possibility of her entry into the contest.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 22 January 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Protests return, but Duque doesn’t budge
- In brief: Peru’s gov’t unveils PPP project portfolio for next 18 months
On 21 January, the government led by President Iván Duque insisted that it is unable to negotiate on most of the demands issued by the Comité Nacional del Paro protest group, after the first major demonstrations of the year in cities across Colombia led to renewed clashes with the controversial anti-riot police (Esmad).
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 21 January 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: US pledges increased support for Guaidó
- In brief: Peru’s gov’t issues 2020 forecast
On 20 January US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo committed to increasing US support for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s efforts to remove Nicolás Maduro from power.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 20 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Morales announces MAS presidential ticket
- In brief: Ecuador’s protests cause GDP to contract
On 19 January, Bolivia’s former economy minister Luis Arce (2006-2019) was named as the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) presidential candidate for the May general election, with former foreign minister David Choquehuanca (2006-2017) chosen as vice-presidential candidate.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 17 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Armed forces deployed ahead of expected protests
- In brief: Ecuador releases 2019 unemployment statistics
From Latin American Weekly Report
- Colombian spying scandal rocks Duque government
- VENEZUELA: US amplifies pressure on Maduro
- PERU: Vizcarra vindicated but scant interest in elections
- BOLIVIA: Áñez making use of judicial action
- TRACKING TRENDS
- Embarrassing episode for Ecuador’s Moreno
On 16 January, Bolivia’s interim defence minister Fernando López announced that the armed forces had been deployed to cities across the country and will carry out regular patrols until 24 January.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 16 January 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: China confirms reduced economic support due to sanctions
- In brief: Ecuador’s Mirador mega-mine sends first export to China
On 15 January, China’s foreign ministry confirmed that “China and Venezuela are stopping or slowing down some of our co-operation, due to sanctions and other factors”.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 15 January 2020
Click here for full report
- PERU: Dissolution of congress ruled to be lawful
- In brief: Coffee production up in Colombia
On 14 January, Peru’s constitutional court (TC) rejected an appeal claiming that President Martín Vizcarra’s dissolution of congress on 30 September 2019 was in violation of the constitution, by four votes to three.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 14 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Morales’ militia proposals met with anger
- In brief: Venezuela’s parliament suggests inflation is finally slowing
From Latin American Security & Strategic Review
- REGION: China shifts approach to infrastructure investment in the Andean region
- VENEZUELA: Gold rush driving violent crime
On 13 January, Bolivia’s interim justice minister Álvaro Coimbra announced that a further charge of sedition has been brought against former president Evo Morales (2006-2019), after he called for the organisation of local militias to challenge the country’s armed forces.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 13 January 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Assassination attempt highlights growing threat to peace
- In brief: FDI to Colombia up in 2019
On 12 January Colombia’s national police reported that it had thwarted an assassination attempt against Rodrigo Londoño ('Timochenko'), president of the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (Farc), the political successor to the demobilised Farc guerrilla group.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 10 January 2020
Click here for full report
- ECUADOR: Political asylees leave for Mexico
- In brief: Colombia’s exports fall by 6.2% in 2019
From Latin American Weekly Report
- Maduro takes the plunge in Venezuela
- 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
On 9 January, four national assembly members accused of conspiring against the Ecuadorean government were allowed to leave for Mexico, after spending nearly three months in the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador’s capital.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 9 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Massive anti-corruption investigations launched
- In brief: World Bank forecasts strong economic growth in Colombia
On 8 January, Bolivia’s interim government announced the opening of investigations into 592 former government officials, accused of embezzling state funds.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 8 January 2020
Click here for full report
- VENEZUELA: Guaidó calls for renewed protests
- In brief: Latest inflation figures released in Bolivia
On 7 January, Venezuelan opposition leader and disputed national assembly (AN) president Juan Guaidó returned to the parliament building, outlining plans for another round of public protests against the de facto government led by Nicolás Maduro.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 7 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Extension of Áñez’s mandate to be contested
- In brief: Ecuador registers 0.07% annual deflation in 2019
On 6 January, the president of Bolivia’s electoral authority (TSE), Salvador Romero, confirmed that the extension of the interim government’s mandate, due to end on 22 January, will have to be approved in the legislative assembly.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 6 January 2020
Click here for full report
- In brief: Colombia’s annual inflation closes at 3.8% in December 2019
* Colombia’s national statistics institute (Dane) has released figures which show that annual inflation closed at 3.8% in December 2019, up from the 3.18% registered in December 2018.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 3 January 2020
Click here for full report
- COLOMBIA: Assassination crisis continues to undermine peace agreement
- In brief: Germany contributes €1m to Ecuador food programme
On 2 January, Colombia’s Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (Farc), the political successor to the demobilised guerrilla group, reported the murder of former combatant Benjamín Banguera Rosales in the south-western department of Cauca.
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Andean Group - 02 January 2020
Click here for full report
- BOLIVIA: Interim government seeks to resolve diplomatic dispute
- In brief: Peru closes 2019 with 1.88% inflation
On 31 December 2019, Bolivia’s interim government announced it would appoint a high representative to the country’s embassy in Spain, in order to resolve the “impasse” over the expulsion of two Spanish diplomats from Bolivia.