Brazil & Southern Cone - January 2026

This January edition of the Latin American Regional Report: Brazil & Southern Cone begins with a look at the apparent signals from Chile’s far-right President-elect José Antonio Kast that he might moderate his stance and seek unity in order to pass reforms for his security agenda.... Read More

Public concerns over issues such as crime and migration dominated debates during Chile’s presidential race [SSR-25-10].... Read More

After winning the second round of the Chilean presidential race on 14 December, José Antonio Kast is inheriting an economy that is doing far better than most in Latin America.... Read More

Banco Master was a small bank compared to Brazil’s giant financial institutions like Bradesco or Itaú Unibanco.... Read More

The United Nations climate change conference (COP30) hosted in the Brazilian city of Belém from 10-22 November was supposed to be the top highlight of Brazil’s foreign policy calendar in 2025 and the main stage on which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva could promote his ambitions to position Brazil as a leading country on multilateral climate action.... Read More

Argentina’s President Javier Milei is leveraging his new-found majority in congress to push a host of free-market economic reforms but has also seen the limits of what he can achieve with his new legislative powers.... Read More

Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti, who had been serving as the chief of the general staff of Argentina’s army, took office as the new defence minister on 10 December, replacing Luis Petri, who won a seat in the lower chamber of congress in the October 2025 midterm elections.... Read More

ARGENTINA | US swap line repaid.... Read More