South American Nations Adopt Different COVID-19 Stategies, With Different Results

[Judi Lynn]

AUGUST 7, 2020
by ARIELA RUIZ CARO

On May 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the epicenter of COVID-19 had moved to Latin America, particularly South America. The region now has the highest number of new cases and deaths in the world. Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile, in this order, have the highest number of deaths in the region.

The pandemic arrived later to Latin America, giving it a chance to prepare by observing as COVID-19 swept through Wuhan and the surrounding Chinese cities and collapsed hospitals in Spain and Italy. South American governments adopted varying strategies to confront the pandemic, which can be grouped in three basic categories: the denial strategy in Brazil, strict quarantines such as those implemented in Argentina and Peru, and the intermediate policies characteristic of Chile and Uruguay. While Brazil’s approach had predictable catastrophic results, in other countries similar strategies did not lead to similar results, such as in Argentina and Peru. The strength of pre-existing health systems, rates of informality in the labor force and the capacity of the political leadership to clearly transmit messages regarding pandemic control measures, among other factors, have played an important role in determining results.

The denial strategy

Brazil

On Feb. 26, Brazil became the first Latin American country to present a confirmed case of COVID-19. As in the rest of the countries in the region, the first cases were imported from Europe, most of them from Italy or Spain, by people from high socioeconomic levels.

The virus spread rapidly throughout the country and infected the population of the large cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espiritu Santo. It spread to the Manaus region, where hospitals were soon overwhelmed and to the native communities of the Amazon jungle. However, President Jair Bolsonaro, like his idol Donald Trump, continued to minimize the pandemic.

More:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/07/south-american-nations-adopt-different-covid-19-stategies-with-different-results/

Also posted in Editorials and other articles:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016265267

[Judi Lynn]

1. This article is completely illuminating, sharing information we just won't see from US sources:

.... a quarter of Peru’s population does not have running water.

. . .

.... Chile reveals the failure of a strategy for rich countries applied in a poor country.

. . .

.... Despite the serious financial and economic situation facing the country, the strategy has allowed it to manage the pandemic. Time Magazine highlighted the good management of Argentina in a list of exemplary countries that include Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany, Iceland, the United Arab Emirates and Greece. [Xiii]

Several factors explain the control of the pandemic. First, despite the lack of investment in the health, education, science and technology sectors in the last government of Mauricio Macri (who eliminated the Ministry of Health to make it a Secretariat of the Ministry of Social Development), the country has a reasonably efficient hospital system compared to the rest of the region. In addition, although it has not been necessary, the beds of the private sector are at the service of the Ministry of Health due to the contingency.

Another factor to highlight is the clear and unique direction of the authorities, including those of the opposition parties. Although it is a federal republic, the governors of the different provinces have followed the directives issued by the president, who has reached 90% approval in handling the pandemic.

This says everything about the hard work accomplished already by the new President of Argentina, and his progressive predeccessors, with whom he also worked, President Néstor Kirchner, who pulled Argentina out of a horrendous deficit created by fascists, and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Thank god Argentina got the chance to ditch Macri through an election not long before the Corona virus arrived.

[sandensea]

2. In Argentina's case, RW media WANTS this to become a crisis, in order to undermine the current gov't

Fernández enjoys 60% approval overall - and 80% approval on his handling of the Covid crisis.

He's made a lot of good calls - such as expanding ICU capacity (3,600 new beds in just 4 months - in a bankrupt country). But a reluctance to enforce social distancing has contributed to Covid's getting out of control since June.

And where? Mostly in the metro Buenos Aires area - where right-wing cable news has the widest reach.

Opponents see the spreading of the Covid as the best way to undermine him.

They've been doing nothing but egging people on to "defy this tyranny - this longest quarantine on earth" (not true) and to "go out and live your lives" - even after restrictions were eased.

And the egg'em and spread'em tactic is working. Guess what happened after this:

New daily cases are now nearly at U.S. levels (on a per capita basis).

As always, thanks for keeping up with so much, Judi. Have a restful Sunday.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Had forgotten all about those guys, for a time. It really does figure, for sure.

You can tell the people who stopped to say a few words don't really feel all that secure in what they're doing. Honesty in facial expressions and speech always shines through, as well as the lack of it.

Just remembered Clarín, also.

Wishing the very best to the conscientious President Argentina elected. May he succeed in spite of all the fascists still living since the last coup, or their descendants.

Thanks for your comments, and that video.

Hope the week will have some good in it this time around!