Latin America’s Uncoordinated Response in Tackling COVID-19

The document argues that Latin American countries failed to coordinate their COVID-19 responses, contrasting this with the coordinated efforts seen in Africa. It highlights how the dismantling of regional health mechanisms, political denialism in Brazil and Mexico, and the instrumentalisation of multilateral organisations like PAHO hampered the region's ability to manage the crisis. The author notes that this lack of coordination, combined with underfunded healthcare systems and pre-existing economic vulnerabilities, led to high death rates and severe economic contractions, disproportionately affecting women and those in informal settlements.

• Latin American countries responded to COVID-19 in a nationalistic and uncoordinated manner, failing to develop common approaches despite the existence of shared institutions like the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).
• The region's ability to act collectively was undermined by the dismantling of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and its health coordination mechanisms, while other bodies like CELAC and the Forum for the Progress and Development of South America lacked the mandate or resources to be effective.
• Political polarisation and 'COVID denialism' from leaders in Brazil and Mexico hindered the adoption of stringent quarantine measures and precluded a consequential regional response.
• PAHO's effectiveness was compromised by political targeting and a financial crisis, with the US withholding significant funding as part of a broader anti-Cuba policy.
• Underfunded healthcare systems in Latin America, with investment averaging 2.2% of GDP (half of the WHO recommendation), resulted in a shortage of hospital beds and physicians compared to OECD averages.
• The pandemic caused severe economic devastation, with ECLAC projecting an average regional GDP contraction of 9.1% in 2020, driven by internal failures and external factors such as declining demand for primary goods and oil.
• The crisis exacerbated social inequalities, disproportionately affecting women through increased unpaid care work and exposure to infection, and impacting those in informal settlements who lacked basic sanitation.

APA

ESTEVES, P. (2020). Latin America’s Uncoordinated Response in Tackling COVID-19. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Policy-Insights-97-Esteves.pdf

Chicago

ESTEVES, PAULO. Latin America’s Uncoordinated Response in Tackling COVID-19. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2020. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Policy-Insights-97-Esteves.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=ESTEVES |first1=PAULO |title=Latin America’s Uncoordinated Response in Tackling COVID-19 |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Policy-Insights-97-Esteves.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{esteves2020latin, author = {ESTEVES, PAULO}, title = {{Latin America’s Uncoordinated Response in Tackling COVID-19}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Policy-Insights-97-Esteves.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }