Latin CoronAmerica?

If you think where you live has been hit hard by COVID19, spare a thought for the poor people of Latin America. Cases of Coronavirus have been rising acutely. Back in May I wrote about COVID19 outbreaks
in Brazil. If anything, things have got worse, with over 3 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus. Second only to Trump's America.

It doesn’t get much better when you look elsewhere in the region. Picture a league table of the Top 10 COVID19 countries in the world, 5 of them would be Latin American. Mexico, Chile, Columbia and Peru, now join Brazil in having major outbreaks, with each country’s hospitals, groaning under the influx of new cases.

It was thought that the first confirmed Latin American case occurred in Brazil back in February. Recently evidence has emerged that the first cases actually occurred in January. The virus seems to have found exactly the right conditions to thrive and flourish. Spreading down through Central to South America, while racking up over 5 million cases and over 200,000 deaths. 

Just as in other countries across the planet, COVID19 seems to seek out the poorest people, who are forced to live cheek by jowl. Brazil and Mexico are testament to this, with a combined death toll of over 150,000. Peru, Chile and Columbia have added to this sad metric with an estimated 45,000 deaths.  

Unlike in most European countries, where Coronavirus deaths have been falling, Latin America’s body count shows no sign of diminishing any time soon. The Pan American Health Organisation issued a sobering message, saying COVID19 is now spreading ‘exponentially’ across a continent that’s become an epicentre for the disease. 

Even these horrendous numbers coming out of Latin America may not be accurate, due to cases and deaths being under-reported. A study from the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo, estimates these figures could easily be multiplied by five.  

The Brazilian University puts this lack of certainty down to a glaring lack of Coronavirus Testing. Chile leads the way in Latin America with 92 Tests per 1,000 people. Unfortunately, according to Our World in Data, (a U.K. project dedicated to collecting COVID19 statistics), Chile is surrounded by countries with Testing levels well below that figure.

So, what are South American Governments doing to save the lives of their people? Chile immediately enforced lockdowns when case rates rose dramatically. Meanwhile the Mexicans and Brazilians were more laissez-faire, handing out guidelines rather than restrictions. Then karma showed up, when Brazil’s very own nut President Jair Bolsonaro firstly downplayed the risks, then promptly contracted Coronavirus himself!

An American global health professor held nothing back saying, ‘the response in Brazil is far from ideal and currently there is a lack of a uniform message coming from the leadership at different levels.’ Ouch! Well the Americans would know all about leadership issues in these troubled times. (No names, no pack drill.)

Just when COVID couldn’t get crazier, it did. In El Salvador street gangs have been dishing out punishment to those who fail to observe curfews in their territory. This behaviour has become a common occurrence across Latino ganglands. But if you harbour romantic notions of benevolent bands of Zorros policing their turf out of the kindness of their hearts, don't.

Playing the good-hearted outlaw is an old Mexican cartel card trick. Where it pays to blur the line between criminals and the State. Even the notorious drug lord, ‘El Chapo’ is in on the act. His daughter has been handing out Coronavirus aid packages with his picture on it, to cash-strapped Mexicans. After all, you’re not going to bite the hand that literally feeds you, are you? x