Hello, and welcome to the Latin America Weekly newsletter! In this issue: the heavy toll of hurricane season. Trade disagreements in Chile. And wealth in Latin America.
☕ If you like our work and want to give us an extra boost, you can fill up our reporters’ coffee mugs. Supporters get exclusive perks! Find out more.
Hurricanes Fiona and Ian leave trail of destruction in the Caribbean
Hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1 to November 30 — and it is leaving a mark on the Caribbean this year. Ian, the ninth 2022 storm strong enough to be named, has grown to a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it closes in on the western coast of Florida.
- Yesterday, its violent winds landed in Cuba and devastated the island’s already flimsy energy grid — leaving all of its 11.3 million residents without electricity. AP reports that power will slowly be restored from today onwards.
Fiona. But Ian has not even been the worst storm thus far. Hurricane Fiona, which struck the Caribbean last week with winds of up to 215 kilometers per hour, killed at least 20 people and caused blackouts and a lot of property damage.
- ...