This article was originally published in Issue #5 of The Essential. To view the full edition,
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The rise of Jair Bolsonaro set Argentina on edge. Upon winning Brazil’s presidential elections, the ex-Army captain and current President-elect seemed set on eroding traditional Argentine-Brazilian relations. His pick for Economy Minister Paulo Guedes called the Mercosur trading bloc “not a priority.” Mr. Bolsonaro himself broke long-standing diplomatic protocol, scheduling his first presidential visit to Chile rather than Argentina.
With forecasted contractions of 2.8 percent in 2018...