Latin America: Restive Trends and Great Power Encroachment - Developments that Matter for U.S. Policy
Latin America: Restive Trends and Great Power Encroachment - Developments that Matter for U.S. Policy
AS/COA Vice President Brian Winter speaks to The Federalist Society's Practice Group podcast about recent developments in Latin America.
Brian Winter, vice president of policy at AS/COA, spoke to The Federalist Society’s Practice Group podcast about recent developments in Latin America.
“Times are tough for Latin America right now,” Winter said. He attributed some of this difficulty to lack of growth in the region’s economies, citing a January estimate from the IMF that says Latin America’s regional GDP grew just 0.1 percent in 2019. Winter said there was a predicted 1.6 percent growth for Latin America in 2020, but “even those numbers are starting to look optimistic.”
“God knows what coronavirus is going to do to economic growth, not only in that part of the world,” Winter said.
He explained that the popular leftist government in Mexico under Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was beginning to sag. Winter also said that the pension system in Chile was sold on the claim that Chileans would be able to retire on 70 percent of their salaries, but in most cases, they’ve been receiving just 20 to 30 percent.
When asked what the United States should be doing in regards to Latin America, he responded, “I would just echo that many countries look at the United States, look at Washington right now, and they see a somewhat erratic, self-interested partner…They will all tell you behind closed doors that they don’t’ see a big ability to execute right now.”
