Ideas Matter

As the first wave of COVID-19 infections advances across the globe, more data becomes available that can help us better understand where we are, how we arrived here, and what may be on the horizon. This blog post explores what widely available data can tell us about how the much-cited curve of infections has progressed in different regions, and where Latin American and … [Read more...] about Where is Latin America and the Caribbean on the COVID-19 Curve?

The Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe will likely have a deep impact on many developing countries, hitting their economies even harder than those of advanced countries. Its toll, however, is likely to extend far beyond the economy. Developing countries, like those in Latin America and the Caribbean, apart from weaker economies, also have more fragile democracies. The crisis … [Read more...] about Covid-19: Threats and Opportunities for Democracy

In recent weeks, the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean have implemented a battery of measures to encourage social distancing and reduce the infection rate of the coronavirus. Although it is clear that human mobility has indeed dropped significantly, important questions persist. How much has mobility declined in the region? In what countries has it dropped the … [Read more...] about Human Mobility Map Shows that People Are Observing Social Distancing

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted most aspects of social life in an unprecedented manner. And while the situation is nothing short of dramatic for the average person, the effects of the pandemic are felt far more acutely in prisons across Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 1.2 million people live behind bars in the region, most in overcrowded penitentiaries where poor … [Read more...] about Pandemic and Prisons: What Are the Challenges for Latin American Governments?