Coronavirus

Latin America Covid-19 News Roundup: May 6, 2020

prison argentina

?? Argentina. Debates on prison furloughs during the pandemic are shaking the Alberto Fernánez administration. NGOs support it, but conservative sectors promise to protest. (Humans Rights Watch)

?? Ecuador. The pandemic is leading the country toward an inevitable loan from the IMF. In 2019, agreements with the same organization caused a social frenzy. (The Brazilian Report)

?? El Salvador. President Nayib Bukele has restricted food and medicine purchases, allowing individuals to make them only twice a week (Prensa Libre, in Spanish)

?? Colombia. President Ivan Duque is being criticized for spending COP 3.3 billion (USD 796,000) on the government’s new online communication strategy — critics say the money could be used in the Covid-19 effort. (Semana, in Spanish)

?? Chile. Despite halting its economy due to quarantine rules, Chile recorded 3.3-percent GDP growth in Q1 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. (Santiago Times)