Latin American Keys is an informative and analytical summary regarding the political and economic situation in the Latin American region. These key takeaways, prepared monthly by ATREVIA´s Analysis and Research team, serve to be a useful tool in understanding the evolution of the political-institutional state of Latin America, a need that the pandemic has further exaggerated.
Most Latin American countries are recovering from the latest wave of Covid-19 that swept through the region, refocusing on their internal political and economic problems. Peru’s president, Pedro Castillo, completed his first year in office in the face of persistent accusations of corruption. This governmental instability is shared by Argentina’s executive branch, where three finance ministers have been appointed in the space of a month, with Sergio Massa being the latest to take office.
He will have the responsibility of controlling inflation, which has already reached 64%. This is a challenge shared with neighbouring Chile, which has the highest inflation rate in 20 years and raises fears of recession. Mexico has also reached record numbers in this regard, but the focus is on the serious water crisis in the north of the country. In Ecuador, meanwhile, social instability has been reduced after the first agreements were reached at the talks between the government and indigenous movements.
Gustavo Petro finally took office as the first left-wing president in the history of Colombia, an ideological wave that could be joined by Lula da Silva in Brazil, who continues to lead in the polls ahead of the next presidential elections. Brazil’s inflation and unemployment figures have fallen, while the Dominican Republic’s exports have increased by more than 10% compared to the previous year.
