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Updated June 24, 2021
Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is
Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and
having widespread economic, social, and political effects
the Grenadines—are eligible to benefit from the COVID-19
on Latin America and the Caribbean. As of June 22, 2021,
Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC),
the region had over 36 million confirmed cases (20% of
launched by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to provide donor-
cases worldwide) and over 1.2 million deaths (32% of
funded vaccines for low- and middle-income economies.
deaths worldwide). Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and
Argentina had the highest numbers of deaths in the region.
Table 1. COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Mortality
Looking at mortality (death) rates per 100,000 population,
Rates in Latin American/Caribbean (LAC) Countries
Peru had the highest recorded COVID-19 mortality rate in
(countries with more than 2,000 deaths, as of June 22, 2021)
the region, followed by Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and
Mexico (see Table 1).
Cases
Deaths per
Country
Deaths
(millions)
100,000
In its weekly epidemiological update issued June 22, 2021,
the World Health Organization reported that many
Brazil
18.055
504,717
239.15
countries in South America, Central America, and the
Mexico
2.483
231,505
181.47
Caribbean were continuing to record high levels of COVID-
19 transmission and mortality. Brazil, Colombia, and
Peru
2.031
190,645
586.41
Argentina had the highest number of new cases and deaths
Colombia
3.997
101,302
201.24
in the region from June 14 to June 20, 2021.
Argentina
4.299
90,281
200.9
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has played
Chile
1.526
31,690
167.21
a major role in supporting countries in their pandemic
responses. When the pandemic began to surge in the region
Ecuador
.447
21,315
122.69
in 2020, the PAHO director expressed concern about the
Bolivia
.424
16,243
141.08
poor and other vulnerable groups at greatest risk, including
those living in the Amazon Basin, particularly indigenous
Paraguay
.409
11,849
168.2
communities; women, who make up 70% of the health
workforce in the Americas; people of African descent;
Guatemala
.283
8,785
52.91
migrants in temporary settlements; and prisoners in
Honduras
.255
6,818
69.96
crowded jails.
Panama
.395
6,483
152.67
The rollout of vaccines in the region has varied
Uruguay
.358
5,350
154.55
considerably, and there is concern that widespread vaccine
access in some countries could be delayed until 2022 or
Costa Rica
.356
4,546
90.06
early 2023. As of June 23, 2021, according to Johns
Dom. Rep.
.318
3,769
35.1
Hopkins University, Chile was the leader in the region, with
50% of its population fully vaccinated, followed by
Venezuela
.263
2,989
10.48
Uruguay, with almost 42%. Several countries with high
numbers of COVID-19 deaths have fully vaccinated smaller
El Salvador
.077
2,341
36.27
percentages of their populations, including Brazil (11.7%),
Total LAC
36.332
1,245,855
—
Mexico (13.4%), Peru (7.8%), Colombia (9.9%), and
Argentina (8.3%). Countries with low vaccination rates
United States
33.565
602,462
183.54
include Guatemala and Honduras (both with less than 1%
Source: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Coronavirus
fully vaccinated), Jamaica (just over 1%), and Trinidad and
Resource Center, “Mortality Analyses,” June 23, 2021, updated daily,
at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality.
Tobago (3.3%). Haiti is the only country in the region that
Note: Peru revised its official COVID-19 death tol in May 2021 to
has not yet received any vaccines.
account for excess deaths attributed to COVID-19 not previously
counted, which tripled the country’s reported death tol .
PAHO has helped countries prepare for vaccine rollout and
has facilitated access to vaccines through the COVID-19
PAHO maintains that by the end of 2021, vaccines provided
Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, a mechanism
through COVAX should cover around 100 million people
developed by global health organizations to facilitate
in the region, roughly 20% of each country’s population. As
equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines; 22 countries
of June 22, PAHO reported that over 21 million doses had
in the region have signed agreements to access vaccines
been delivered through COVAX. Vaccine deliveries
through the facility. In addition, 10 countries in the
through COVAX have been slower than expected due to
region—Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana,
supply problems. Many countries in the region also have
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
signed commercial agreements with pharmaceutical
The pandemic exacerbated these factors, contributing to
companies. A number of countries have begun to use
increased protests in the region since late 2020. Beginning
Chinese and Russian vaccines; for several countries (e.g.,
in late April 2021, mass protests in Colombia against a
Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, the Dominican Republic), China
pandemic-related tax increase turned into broader anti-
has supplied a large portion of vaccine doses. Cuba, with
government demonstrations. Human rights groups and other
8.1% of its population fully vaccinated, is deploying
observers also have expressed concern about leaders taking
domestically developed vaccines and aims to have 70% of
advantage of the pandemic to advance their own agendas
its population vaccinated by August. In May 2021, PAHO’s
and restrict freedom of expression.
director said more vaccines were urgently needed for Latin
America and the Caribbean; in June 2021, she called on G7
U.S. Policy Considerations
nations to prioritize the region in their vaccine donations.
Congress has provided some $17 billion in international
affairs funding (through two FY2020 supplemental
Economic Impact
appropriations measures, P.L. 116-123 and P.L. 116-136;
In the April 2021 update of its World Economic Outlook,
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260;
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated the region
and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2) to
registered a 7.0% economic contraction in 2020. Economic
help countries worldwide respond to COVID-19. The
recovery may be a protracted process in countries that rely
funding supports global health interventions, humanitarian
heavily on global trade and investment. Caribbean nations
assistance, and contributions to multilateral efforts. As of
that depend on tourism face deep economic recessions,
April 2021, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for
several with projected economic declines over 15% in
International Development had allocated nearly $166
2020. Several South American nations hard-hit by the
million of new and prior-year funding to help Latin
pandemic are projected to register economic contractions
American and Caribbean countries respond to the
over 10%. Although most countries in the region are
pandemic. P.L. 116-260 included $4 billion as a
expected to begin economic recovery in 2021, the IMF
contribution to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which supports
regional growth forecast of 4.6% lags behind the expected
COVAX AMC and coordinates implementation of the
world economic growth forecast of 6.0%.
COVAX Facility, both of which benefit countries in the
region. Congress may consider additional funding for
The economic contraction in 2020 increased poverty and
international pandemic response as it considers the Biden
exacerbated income inequality in the region. Latin America
Administration’s FY2022 budget request.
already was the most unequal region in the world in terms
of income inequality, according to the U.N. Economic
The Administration has committed to share and donate
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
vaccines globally through the COVAX Facility and
(ECLAC). A March 2021 ECLAC report estimated 22
COVAX AMC as well as bilaterally. Some Members of
million people in Latin America moved into poverty in
Congress have called for President Biden to prioritize Latin
2020, with overall poverty rising to 33.7% of the region’s
American and Caribbean countries in donating surplus
population from 30.5% in 2019.
vaccines to countries in need.
A number of countries in the region have implemented
Latin American and Caribbean countries are to receive a
relief programs to help protect their economies and
yet-to-be determined amount of vaccines. In June 2021, the
vulnerable populations, but many have needed external
Biden Administration announced its strategy for sharing 80
financing to address the pandemic and associated economic
million vaccine doses worldwide. Certain Latin American
downturn. In response, international financial institutions,
and Caribbean countries are to receive 20 million doses
including the IMF, the Inter-American Development Bank,
through COVAX, as well as a portion of 20 million doses
and the World Bank, significantly increased lending to
targeted for regional priorities and global partners. The
countries in the region.
White House announced in March 2021 that the United
States would share 2.5 million vaccine doses with Mexico.
Political Impact
On June 10, President Biden announced that the United
Even before the pandemic, public satisfaction with the
States would purchase and donate an additional 500 million
quality of democracy in several Latin American and
doses to 92 countries eligible for COVAX AMC donations,
Caribbean countries was eroding. The 2018-2019
including, as noted above, 10 countries in the region.
AmericasBarometer public opinion survey showed the
lowest level of satisfaction with democracy since the poll
Some Members have argued for and against a proposal at
began in 2004. Several broad political and economic factors
the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property
drove the decline and help explain the eruption of social
rights for COVID-19 vaccines. On May 5, 2021, the
protests in the region in 2019. Political factors include an
Administration announced its support for negotiating such a
increase in authoritarian practices, weak democratic
waiver due to the pandemic’s extraordinary circumstances.
institutions, politicized judicial systems, corruption, and
high levels of crime and violence. Economic factors include
Mark P. Sullivan, Specialist in Latin American Affairs
stagnant or declining growth; high levels of inequality and
Peter J. Meyer, Specialist in Latin American and Canadian
poverty; and inadequate public services, social safety net
Affairs
programs, and advancement opportunities.
IF11581
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Impact of COVID-19
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