In responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, not all countries have implemented equally strict policies. While Spain and most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have chosen to mandate lockdowns by law, including using security forces for monitoring, control, and coercion, in other countries—such as Sweden—decisions regarding confinement and social distancing have been left … [Read more...] about Institutional Capacity and Trust: The Ingredients for Fewer Restrictions during the Pandemic
Covid-19: The Challenge of Ensuring Assistance to Informal and Vulnerable Workers
Few measures could be more important during the current Covid-19 pandemic than ensuring that the poor and vulnerable can eat, buy medicine and pay for other basic needs as they endure a months-long shutdown essential to protecting public health. But in Latin America where about half the population works in the informal economy, that is no easy feat. Many people in the informal … [Read more...] about Covid-19: The Challenge of Ensuring Assistance to Informal and Vulnerable Workers
Covid-19 and the Deglobalization of Banking
The Financial Times recently reported a sharp drop of lending from US banks to European countries.[1] But this is best characterized as part of a wider deglobalization process. As national authorities urge banks to lend to firms within their borders and provide liquidity and guarantees for them to do so, global players are becoming less global. The syndicated loan market is … [Read more...] about Covid-19 and the Deglobalization of Banking
Ideas to Safely Reduce Prison Populations during the Pandemic
The situation in Latin American prisons is evolving rapidly. The rights and health of more than 1.2 million inmates in the region are at stake and need to become a priority. Some countries have implemented general pardons for nonviolent inmates, limited pretrial detentions or modified visitation rights. However, most countries have yet to take action. Some argue that releasing … [Read more...] about Ideas to Safely Reduce Prison Populations during the Pandemic
Policies to Fight the Pandemic in Latin America
Latin America and the Caribbean—like the rest of the world—is facing a challenge like none in its modern history. The coronavirus, with no vaccine or cure to curb it yet, has swept every continent, infecting more than 3.1 million people and killing more than 220,000 as of late April. Without a determined health response, it could have killed as many as 3.2 million people in our … [Read more...] about Policies to Fight the Pandemic in Latin America