Brazil & Southern Cone - January 2025

This January edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins with an analysis of the free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) regional trade bloc, which had been in the making for a quarter of a century.... Read More

The trade deal between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) regional trade bloc had been in the making for a quarter of a century, yet when it was finally announced on 6 December it still faced an uncertain future. ... Read More

In November and December, the federal police (PF) arrested military officers who are believed to have been involved in a plot in 2022 to overturn the election defeat that year of former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023).... Read More

Public concern over accountability for Brazil’s law enforcement institutions has risen in the past few months, following incidents of police killings and excessive force that received considerable media exposure.... Read More

In some ways Brazil’s economy did quite well in 2024.... Read More

It took the Brazilian congress a full year since the approval of an historic tax reform before passing the first of several necessary regulations.... Read More

Argentina’s troubled economy is officially on the mend.... Read More

With crime ranking as the top public concern in surveys, the government led by President Gabriel Boric sought to advance a raft of security measures in 2024.... Read More

In an episode described by national media outlets as an embarrassment that undermined the seriousness of Paraguay’s declared commitments to addressing drug trafficking and organised crime, last month Jalil Rachid, the head of the national anti-drug agency (Senad), announced Senad would suspend cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), only to subsequently backtrack.... Read More

ARGENTINA | Boosting reserves with a repo.... Read More