(Photo by LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
BY OLIVER STUENKEL | APRIL 22, 2020
Lackluster growth, mass protests and weak institutions before the coronavirus suggest the region is headed for even deeper trouble after it.
https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/latin-america-must-act-or-brace-political-instability
While it is impossible to predict how the coronavirus will spread in Latin America, one thing is certain: Recession will hit the region hard. According to the World Bank’s most recent estimate, made while the effects of the pandemic in the region were just starting to spread, Latin American economies are expected to contract by 5% in 2020. A recent study by Oxfam, meanwhile, estimates that the crisis will push half a billion people into poverty — some 10% of them in Latin America. This is a recipe for political instability.
Political analysts debating the medium- and long-term consequences for the region are sounding the alarm: Permanent change is inevitable, and promises that things will soon be back to normal are counterproductive. To address the situation, Latin America’s leaders need to adopt a unifying message and reach across ideological divides. They should…
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