Title: How Political and Social Unrest Affect Global Security in the Age of Covid-19 | Security Info Watch
Headings: How Political and Social Unrest Affect Global Security in the Age of Covid-19
How Political and Social Unrest Affect Global Security in the Age of Covid-19
The pandemic is already showing signs of amplifying ongoing turmoil around the world
A Brief Synopsis of the Security Challenges
Profiling the United States
Profiling Latin America
Profiling Europe
Profiling Africa
Profiling East Asia
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Content: Profiling Latin America
Latin America had just experienced an unusually high level of social unrest towards the end of 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life there. Democratic solutions to unrest in Chile and Bolivia in the form of a constitutional referendum and special election respectively have been delayed by the pandemic. While both populations have so far remained compliant, extended delays could test the patience of the protesters and return disruptions to Santiago and La Paz. In Brazil, the pandemic has amplified partisan divides between local leaders and the controversial president, Jair Bolsonaro; and Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno has faced threats that opposition to his response to COVID-19 could rejuvenate a 2019 protest movement that forced his government to temporarily evacuate the capital. Argentina is simultaneously dealing with a pandemic and a debt crisis, putting into jeopardy the country’s ability to fund social welfare and health programs in the medium- and long-term future. Cuts to these programs could provoke protests that reject the norms of market economy and international finance. As Latin America experiences the worst of the COVID-19 health crisis, protest activity is understandably low. But as we saw in the United States in June, the threat of unrest will return once authorities begin to relax and lift restrictions in the coming months. Underlying social frustrations over economic inequality and declining social support programs in countries contributed to the 2019 protests and COVID-19 only amplifies them.