Brazil and Southern Cone

Brazil & Southern Cone - November 2024

This November edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins with an analysis of the influence of organised crime over local politics in Brazil, especially in the run-up to the country’s municipal elections this year.

Brazil & Southern Cone - October 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Argentina
- Milei's asset regularisation drive in Argentina
Chile
- Corruption scandal hits top court and political establishment
- Picking up the scraps of Huachipato steel plant
Chile-Uruguay
- Obstacles to Google plans for data centres
Brazil
- Government settles decades-long quilombola land dispute
- New central bank chief, same policy?
- Gangs supplied by licenced gun owners
Paraguay
- Peña boosts spending for policing
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

This October edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins in Argentina, a country with a deep-seated mistrust in the banking sector, where the government led by President Javier Milei is continuing its asset regularisation drive.

Brazil & Southern Cone - September 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Chile
- Capital region shaken by violent crime wave
Brazil
- Armed cattle ranchers attack indigenous communities
- Biofuels get a boost from Lula government
Argentina
- Early signs of a dormant copper industry awakening
- Scandal shines spotlight on domestic abuse
Uruguay
- Not-so polarising, but still a tight race for president
Paraguay
- Peña enjoys economic tailwinds, for now
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

This September edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins in Chile where the government led by President Gabriel Boric has announced more measures to address violent crime, including the deployment of more police and the construction of a new prison.

Brazil & Southern Cone - August 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Brazil
- Debates over drug decriminalisation intensify
- Historic drought worsens fires in Pantanal
- Privatisation of São Paulo water utility under fire
- Upstart fintech takes on big name banks
Region
- Make or break for Mercosur?
Argentina
- Milei opens skies as economic fix stalls
- Child disappearance raises alarm on human trafficking
Paraguay
- Government claims success against drug trafficking
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

This August edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins with an analysis of the debates surrounding drug laws in Brazil, as the supreme court (STF) has ruled to decriminalise the possession of up to 40g of cannabis for personal use.

Brazil & Southern Cone - July 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Brazil
- Central bank in crossfire as economy lags
- Security hardliners toughen prison laws in Brazil
- Judiciary continues dismantling Lava Jato cases
Argentina
- Challenges persist despite political win for Milei
Paraguay-Region
- Big plans for a gas pipeline
Paraguay
- New justice minister inherits troubled legacy
Chile
- Codelco’s tricky copper-lithium balance
Uruguay
- Government expresses concern over homicides
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

This July edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins with an analysis of the rising tensions in Brazil between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto.

Brazil & Southern Cone - June 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Brazil
- Lula's priorities for Petrobras
- Floods highlight climate vulnerabilities and inequalities
- Floods warn of climate change costs
Chile
- Security concerns heighten over murdered Carabineros
Argentina
- Attack on lesbian women highlights rising homophobic violence
Paraguay
- Brazil sweetens deal on Itaipú
Uruguay
- Model economy in election year
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

Ever since its foundation over seven decades ago, Brazil’s state-run oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has been a political football for the country’s leaders, each seeking to tap into the vast resources of Latin America’s largest energy company.

Brazil & Southern Cone - May 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Brazil
- Web of corruption behind Marielle Franco’s murder
- Lula’s public finance balancing act
Argentina
- Foreign policy pivot presents boost to military
- Faint light at the end of a long tunnel
Chile
- A lifeline for domestic steel producers
- Government to boost cybersecurity efforts
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

The federal police have arrested the suspected masterminds behind one of the most high-profile political assassinations in Brazil in recent years, the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco.

Brazil & Southern Cone - April 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Argentina
- Authorities ramp up security presence in Rosario
- Milei’s balancing act between austerity and popularity
Brazil
- Lula returns to statism as popularity slips
- Structural inequalities worsen dengue outbreak
- Electoral court sets rules on artificial intelligence
Region
- Mercosur looks to Asia as EU deal stalls
Paraguay
- Calls for action against insecurity in Ciudad del Este
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

Amid concerns over escalating violence in the port city of Rosario, Sante Fe province, Argentina’s right-wing government led by President Javier Milei convened a crisis committee to oversee the deployment of federal security forces, among other measures.

Brazil & Southern Cone - March 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Brazil
- Brazil’s intelligence agency shaken by spying scandal
- A plan to tap into global climate finance
- Economic slowdown has upside potential
Argentina
- Milei’s economic wins elude the people
- Milei deepens Israel ties, cools tensions with Pope
Chile
- Land management practices fuel wildfires, experts warn
- US eyes lithium reserves for energy transition
Paraguay
- Outrage over expulsion of opposition senator
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

The federal police (PF) of Brazil has launched investigations into an alleged criminal network within the national intelligence agency (Abin) that carried out illegal surveillance for the benefit of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023).

Brazil & Southern Cone - February 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Argentina
- Milei’s very short honeymoon in Argentina
- NGOs warn environmental protection under threat
- New leadership of the armed forces
Brazil
- Capital riots anniversary highlights threats to democracy
- Lukewarm applause for Lula’s industry plan
- Gol forced into Chapter 11 after ongoing struggle
Chile
- Partial victory for Boric on pensions bill
- Global optimism, local concern over marine wildlife
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

Argentina’s legislature has delivered a numbing reality check to the country’s new president, Javier Milei: the defeat of his all-encompassing omnibus bill that would have given him special powers to overhaul swathes of the country’s economy.

Brazil & Southern Cone - January 2024

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Introduction
- Introduction
Chile
- Voters reject conservative constitution proposal
- Light at the end of the tunnel?
Brazil
- Steady slog toward investment grade
- Gender violence on the rise
Argentina
- Milei fix faces growing challenges
Paraguay-Brazil
- Cross-border efforts against arms trafficking
Uruguay
- Corruption allegations force cabinet reshuffle
Economic Highlights
- Economic Highlights

Voters in Chile rejected a draft for a new constitution in December, which was drawn up by a constitutional council dominated by right-wing parties.