January 21 – Mexico / Guatemala / Honduras
Immigration
After camping on the border between Mexico and Guatemala for days (across from Mexico’s Ciudad Hidalgo) and kept from crossing the bridge to Mexico, hundreds of migrants storm Mexico’s border through the Suchiate River. Most of these migrants are from Honduras fleeing violence, poverty, and high murder rates with the goal of reaching the United States. The border security troops fire gas to prevent the migrants from entering Mexico and roundup those who manage to cross the border. Some will be deported while some will be allowed to stay and work in Mexico; however, after a deal reached with the U.S. they will not be allowed to use migration routes to the United States.[1]
Background: Under a deal between the United States and Mexico on migration reached in June 2019, Mexico agreed to deploy the National Guard throughout the country with additional troops along the southern border with Guatemala, and to clamp down on people smuggling rings. Both sides also agreed that the United States will be sending asylum seekers back to Mexico while they await reviews of their claims, but in return, the U.S. promised to speed up the decision process.[2]
I sent my seven-year-old across the border alone’ – video (03:10 min)
US border in seven charts
February 7 – Brazil
Global health – Coronavirus, or Covid-19
Dr. Li Wenliang, a Chinese doctor who issued the first warning about the deadly new coronavirus outbreak contracts the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital and dies. He had sent out a warning to other doctors on December 30, but the Chinese authorities ordered him to stop “making false comments”.[3]
(Feb 26): The novel coronavirus, now named Covid-19, has been spreading quickly from China to other parts of the world raising fears of global pandemic. China is still the country affected the most, with 77,000 infections and 2,600 deaths. It has built several new hospitals and quarantine centers for infected patients. But the virus has now spread to 30 other countries infecting 1,200 people and killing 20. The worst affected countries right now are South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy, where authorities resort to drastic measures to contain and limit the speed of spread of the virus. Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined in South Korea after 11 service members were infected. In Italy, where confirmed cases surged from three to more than 200 in just three days, the government put several small towns on lock-down with their residents not allowed to leave without special permission. It also cancelled many activities, sporting events, and festivals even outside the zone.[4] The United States has 14 confirmed cases so far, some of them unexplained, which raises concerns about the virus spreading within communities.[5] Stock markets fall sharply amid fears of economic impact of the virus. Also, Brazil confirms its first coronavirus case, becoming the first country in Latin America with the outbreak.
(Feb 28): Within just a few days, Iran reports 388 new cases of the illness and 34 deaths, which makes it the country with the highest number of deaths outside China.[6]
More about coronavirus from CDC: source and spread, risk assessment, illness severity Coronavirus and Economic Impact (video: 11:04)
History of Past Pandemics
How the Virus Got Out (graphic presentation)
How South Korea Flattened the Curve
March 9 – Mexico
Violence against women
Millions of women across Mexico take part in a daylong strike to protest violence against women named „The Day Without Us“. Women stayed home from work, school, and public places to make a point how the world would look like without them. Those who were unable to join the protest wear purple ribbons in solidarity with the movement. The women accuse the government of inaction while the problem of violence against women has worsened.[7] In addition to overall violence against women, the activists call attention to femicide defined as intentional murder of women because they are women. Mexico began officially counting femicide data in 2012; in the same year, it had the 16th highest incidents of femicide in the world. Approximately 10 women are killed every day in Mexico, and the rate of femicide has doubled in the last 5 years.[8]
April 17– Ecuador / Brazil
Global Health – Coronavirus, or Covid-19
Ecuador’s official coronavirus death toll is 403, but densely populated Guayas province with high levels of poverty shows a different picture. Since the beginning of March 14,561 people have died in Guayas province from all causes, much higher than usual 2,000 deaths a month on average. The authorities are unable to keep up with the huge rise in deaths, leaving corpses wrapped in sheets in family homes and even in the streets.[9]
(Apr 24): Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities in Brazil warn that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse. President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the outbreak and opposes the lockdown measures despite the country’s nearly 53,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,600 deaths.[10]
April 12 – Brazil
In coordination with the United States, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia, and other allied oil producers in a group known as OPEC Plus agree to reduce their production by 9.7 million barrels a day in May and June, about 10 percent of the world’s output. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic demand for oil worldwide fell by 35 percent. This is the largest production cut ever negotiated in an effort to stabilize the oil prices and help struggling economies in the Middle East and Africa, but also oil companies around the world that employ 10 million workers. Other oil countries outside OPEC, such as Canada, Brazil, Norway, and the United States, have been also cutting production. The oil prices that used to go above $100 a barrel are expected to stay below $40 for some time.[11]
More on how a drop in oil prices caused by the Covid-19 pandemic affects various economies
May 10 – Brazil / Mexico / Chile / Colombia
Global health – coronavirus, or COVID-19
Colombia’s national airline Avianca files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, becoming one of the major airlines to file for bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The 100-year-old airline follows others, including Virgin Australia and Flybe, into bankruptcy.
(May 19): The U.S., Canada and Mexico agree to keep their shared borders closed to non-essential travel until June 21.
(May 22): South America becomes a new global hot spot for the coronavirus with Mexico and Brazil recording the highest numbers of cases and deaths. Brazil has 330,890 confirmed cases with the number of fatalities passing 20,000, making it second in the world behind the U.S., which had 1.6 million cases.
(May 26): In Chile, intensive care units in the hospitals are nearly at capacity amid a flood of coronavirus patients.[12]
June 1 – Latina America
Global Health: coronavirus, or Covid-19
Mexico, with almost 100,000 confirmed coronavirus infections and 10,000 deaths, urges people to practice social distancing in epicenters of the virus. About 5,000 companies that have implemented safety protocols will be allowed to reopen this week. The federal government has cleared businesses in the mining, construction and auto manufacturing sectors to resume operations.[13]
(Jun 4): Brazil’s death toll from coronavirus reaches 34,000, making Brazil the third most affected country in the world. A lack of robust health services in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has made the coronavirus outbreak there particularly devastating.
(Jun 10): Coronavirus deaths in Latin America surpass 70,000.[14]
Our new normal in pictures
June 3 – Mexico
The Mayan Train Project
Mexican President López Obrador inaugurates the first part of the $6.8 billion construction of the Mayan Train project that aims to connect tourist destinations in the Yucatán Peninsula, including historic Mayan sites. The train will run about 950 miles from Palenque in Chiapas northeast towards Cancún in Quintana Roo via two routes that encircle the peninsula and a route that goes to Mexico City stopping at 15 stations. When is started two years ago, the project had a wide support of the local population, expecting to create 800,000 jobs and stimulate economic development around the 15 stations and solve the region’s migration problem. But since then the project has become controversial. The environmental activists worry about the negative impact the project will have on the area’s unique sites.[15]
More about the Mayan Train
July 7 – Brazil
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
After months of downplaying the coronavirus, Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro announces he has tested positive for the virus.[16]
August 2 – Latin America
Global Health: Coronavirus, or COVID-19
Latin America is considered the world’s most affected region by the coronavirus pandemic, with Brazil second and Mexico third-highest global Covid-19 death toll after the United States. In response to surging Covid-19 cases, Peru, Argentina and Colombia are extending quarantine orders. Latin American and the Caribbean suffer from great economic inequalities with enormous informal economy, and where it is difficult to observe social distancing rules. The region’s health care system has been quickly overburdened on top of lack of resources and manpower. But infections are also reaching the political class, with six top government officials testing positive for the coronavirus in Brazil and a dozen officials, including the interim president in Bolivia.[17]
September 4 – Brazil
Environment: Fires in Pantanal and the Amazon
A record amount of the world’s largest tropical wetlands in Brazil’s region of Pantanal, one of the most biologically diverse habitats on the planet, is devastated due to huge fires that swept through the area from January to August. About 7,861 square miles, or about 10 percent of it has been lost. These fires are often set by ranchers and farmers to clear land, but this time they were exacerbated by unusually dry conditions with below-normal rainfall and near-record temperatures. Also, this year’s fires in the Amazon region, many of them set deliberately as well, have been very destructive. Some of these fires were so large that they were visible from space.[18]
More on these fires and Brazil’s government response
Q&A about fires in the Amazon
October 11 – Brazil
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
Brazil passes 150,000 deaths from Covid-19, making it the second-highest death toll after the United States. Brazil also has the third-highest number of cases after the U.S. and India.[19]
October 18 – Bolivia
Elections
Luis Arce of the Movement for Socialism party (MAS), the progressive candidate and former finance minister in the Evo Morales administration, wins a landslide victory in Bolivia’s presidential election, beating his nearest rival Carlos Mesa from the Revolutionary Left Front (FRI) by nearly 30 percentage points. The MAS party also retains its majorities in both chambers of the parliament, but it comes short of a two-third majority. The MAS victory can be credited in the popularity of its policies, such as significant reduction of poverty in Bolivia, and the rejection of the policies pursued by the conservative government, including its mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis. Bolivia has the world’s third-highest per-capita death rate from the pandemic.[20]
Background
This election is a rerun of Bolivia’s October 2019 presidential election, which was rife with accusations of fraud to benefit of President Evo Morales. He was forced to resign and went into exile in Argentina amid mass protests, political violence, and military pressure. Jeanine Anez, a rightwing conservative and second vice president of the Senate, took over as an interim president. The situation caused mass street protests.
More on the background of the Bolivian elections
November 16 – Mexico
Global Health: Coronavirus, or Covid-19
With a total of one million coronavirus cases and almost 100,000 deaths (the world’s fourth-highest toll after the United States, Brazil and India), Mexico City is closing all bars and clubs for two weeks. Mexico, along with other Latin American countries, has the highest number of coronavirus deaths per capita. The government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been criticized over his pandemic response.[21]
Sources:
[1] “Hundreds of US-bound migrants stopped from entering Mexico.” BBC News. January 21, 2020. Web. Accessed January 22, 2020.
[2] “US-Mexico talks: Trump hails deal on migrants to avoid tariffs.” BBC News. 8 June 2019. Web. Accessed 22 January 2020.
[3] “Li Wenliang: Coronavirus kills Chinese whistleblower doctor. BBC News. 7 February 2020. Accessed April 17, 2020.
[4] “Coronavirus: Rapid spread raises fears of global pandemic.” BBC News. February 24, 2020. Accessed February 26, 2020 and Livia Borghese and Tara John. “Coronavirus cases soar in Italy as authorities scramble to find patient zero.” CNN. February 24, 2020. Accessed February 26, 2020.
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.” February 26, 2020. Accessed February 26, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
[6] “Coronavirus timeline: Tracking the critical moments of COVID-19.” NBC News. Accessed April 15, 20 from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-timeline-tracking-critical-moments-covid-19-n1154341
[7] “Mexican women strike to protest against gender-based violence.” BBC News. 9 March 2020. Accessed March 30, 20.
[8] Linnea Sandin. “Femicides in Mexico: Impunity and Protests.” Center for International and Strategic Studies. March 19, 2020. Accessed May 8, 20 from https://www.csis.org/analysis/femicides-mexico-impunity-and-protests
[9] “Coronavirus: Ecuador sees massive surge in deaths in April.” BBC News. April 17, 2020. Accessed May 20, 20.
[10] “Coronavirus timeline: Tracking the critical moments of COVID-19.” NBC News. 2020. Accessed April 3, 2020 from
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-timeline-tracking-critical-moments-covid-19-n1154341
[11] Clifford Krauss. “Oil Nations, Prodded by Trump, Reach Deal to Slash Production.” The New York Times. April 12, 2020. Accessed April 30, 2020.
[12] “Coronavirus timeline: Tracking the critical moments of COVID-19.” NBC News. 2020. Accessed April 3, 2020 from
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-timeline-tracking-critical-moments-covid-19-n1154341
[13] Dan Christian Rojas and Maria Verza. “Mexico president kicks off ‘new normal’ phase amid pandemic.” ABC News. June 1, 2020. Accessed July 15, 20.
[14] “Coronavirus timeline: Tracking the critical moments of COVID-19.” NBC News. 2020. Accessed April 3, 2020 from
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-timeline-tracking-critical-moments-covid-19-n1154341
[15] Maria Verza. “Mexico’s president goes full-steam ahead with Mayan train.” ABC News. June 3, 2020. Accessed July 15, 20.
[16] Robin Muccari, Denise Chow and Joe Murphy. “Coronavirus timeline: Tracking the critical moments of COVID-19.” NBC News. July 8, 2020. Accessed August 20, 2020.
[17] Rafael Romo. “What happens in August could be key in Latin America’s coronavirus fight, expert says.” CNN. August 2, 2020. Accessed October 1, 20.
[18] Maria Magdalena Arréllaga, Ernesto Londoño and Letícia Casado. “Brazil Fires Burn World’s Largest Tropical Wetlands at Unprecedented Scale.” September 4, 2020. Accessed November 2, 2020 from
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/world/americas/brazil-wetlands-fires-pantanal.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20200906&instance_id=21961&nl=the-morning®i_id=116760350§ion_index=1§ion_name=big_story&segment_id=37533&te=1&user_id=0ef246d5969dc9d5afd9a72aa16cf7e2
[19] “Covid: Brazil’s coronavirus death toll passes 150,000.” BBC News. October 11, 2020. Accessed December 1, 20.
[20] Kevin Young. “The Bolivian left’s election win is a positive sign, but it inherits a dire situation.” The Guardian. October 21, 2020. Accessed November 25, 20.
[21] Jennifer Jett. “Mexico surpasses one million coronavirus cases, and other news from around the world.” The New York Times. Global Roundup. November 16, 2020. Accessed December 9, 20 from https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/15/world/covid-19-coronavirus?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20201116&instance_id=24145&nl=the-morning®i_id=116760350&segment_id=44585&te=1&user_id=0ef246d5969dc9d5afd9a72aa16cf7e2#mexico-surpasses-one-million-coronavirus-cases-and-other-news-from-around-the-world