As we see in today's document, the U.S. is by no means the only country going through a tense political period. It is very interesting and important to note that Peru has gone through five impeachments with presidents since 2000. It is also very interesting to review the contrast between this year in last year in terms of President Viszcarra as he was very well liked and respected when first elected in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused complete chaos in most nations & especially in Latin America where the pandemic has peaked over the last couple of months. The pandemic has also seemingly shed light on the competency of world leaders in the face of crisis, including Vizcarro. Over the past year, the region has faced a variety of corruption allegations against Presidents and other political figures including Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras and most notably Venezuela. It is disappointing to see that there has been continuous and prevailing trend of of corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean seeing as though the citizens receive the brunt of its consequences. It is clear that there is no single solution in this issue but at the very least, accountability and exposure never hurts. As of last week, 60 lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment proceedings and 40 opposed. It is projected that later today (11/9) congress will come to a more clear decision. Interested to hear what everyone else thinks of the reading!
I agree that the trend of corruption in Latin America is worrying. The most exposure I have to Latin American corruption is through Operation Car Wash in Brazil and the ensuing fallout, which had a lasting negative impact on the country for years to come. But in general, corruption across Latin America is preventing good democratic governance and opening the doors to increased turnover for leadership and decreased trust in political institutions. Five impeachments in 20 years is a lot and generally does not symbolize a strong democracy. And the pandemic does not make anything better, as it would take a real political mastermind to effectively maneuver this crisis without significant damage to the country.
I'm curious as to whether or not you have any thoughts on any of the potential candidates running in Peruvian elections in 2021, or more broadly what elections there may mean for the country's and the region's future. Especially if the pandemic has not ceased its grip over the region.
@Jay Rosato In my opinion the upcoming election will definitely be an altering/signifigant one in considering all that is happening with Vizcarra right now. While I know that Vizcarra will not be allowed to run again, I believe there is still some uncertainty regarding candidates running in 2021. Political parties in Peru vary and according to reports, there are virtually no broad-based political movements or coalitions with extensive popular support nation-wide. Something that I read that I found quite interesting and ironic is that when President Vizcarra recently commented on the upcoming 2021 election, he urged political parties to choose good and honest candidates. Whatever the outcome is I hope that the future president displays transparency in his leadership. Hopefully this situation and election can set a good example in the region overall.
Prior to this article I was unaware of the specifics of Peru’s situation. I had a vague understanding there was political strife, but my attention was more towards Venezuela when it came to South America. The long-standing battle with political corruption in Peru is interesting. I have been made aware that blockchain technology can be used to aid in the fight against corruption [1] [2]. The consistency of bribes being accepted has proven to be problematic for the government of Peru. I do believe that it would benefit Peru to invest into blockchain provided the government believes it to be a solution. Having six presidents in 20-years facing corruption charges demands change. COVID-19 impacting Peru comes at no surprise to me. Having COVID-19 hit the country during political strife certainly has created significant problems for the nation. I am curious to see how Peru adapts to the multidimensional challenges it faces.
I had never thought about cryptocurrencies being used as a tool to fight corruption. Though it makes sense, given that blockchain is decentralized, and therefore harder to tamper with and easier to prove.
You briefly brought up the idea that poor governance has aided the spread of COVID-19 in a lot of countries, which I think is an important recognition. I would also say that how formal the economy is, and therefore the ability of the government to regulate it, also contributes to this. Evan Ellis brought up the fact that the large informal sector of the economy had contributed to the spread. This is a similar issue in Africa, where the informal sector is getting hit very hard by COVID-19 and many people are losing their livelihoods or even their lives due to the virus. As many as 55 million domestic workers around the world, many of whom work informally, are now at threat. So in this regard, I agree that poor governance has led to Peru getting hit worse both in terms of loss of life and in terms of its economy.
I'm not very well versed in South American politics, but this situation reminds me somewhat of what happened in Brazil in 2016. Dilma Rousseff, who had been in office for only a year and a half, was impeached from office on charges of corruption and creative accounting, though some argue that it was a "coup" by the opposition to remove her from power as the economy worsened. I see some similarities to this in Peru, where the virus has hit very hard and the economy has suffered because of it. In this vein, I can see an opportune legislative branch, dominated by opposition to the president, seeking to take advantage of the chaos and level corruption charges and have popular support for impeachment. It also helps that President Viscarra dissolved the congress last year, which may contribute to the bitterness between the two branches.
But I don't fully understand the political timing of this vote. President Vizcarra only has about five months left on his term. There was also already an impeachment effort just a couple of months ago, which failed. Attempting to do so again just seems like it will further wear away public support and continue to erode trust in the legislature as a neutral body. Not to mention that based on the article, the risks associated with impeaching the president and then allowing the parliamentary head to potentially postpone elections seems like a great risk.
I would be curious to see if anyone has any thoughts on why impeachment might be a sound political strategy for the opposition. I am also curious to see how the legislature votes later tonight.
I am glad to see that the Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra is being held accountable (or at least attempted to) for his charges of corruption. Many leaders in South America this year have been accused of corruption and authoritarianism. Bolivia's longtime leader Evo Morales, who was accused of rigging the most recent election for him in 2019 in his favor, was exiled from Boliva last year, but today returned to the nation. While the credibility of him rigging the election has been disputed, there is evidence that Evo Morales has become more corrupt in his fourteen year presidency. The newly elected President of Bolivia, Luis Arce (who was almost assassinated on Friday), welcomed Evo Morales back to Bolivia but said that he would not play a role in his government. Widespread protests last year against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his corruption and authoritarian rule sparked international outcry against his brutal suppression of the protestors. Similarly, protests against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last year for his authoritarian rule were suppressed as well. Authoritarianism and corruption are not just South American phenomena, as many countries in Asia and East Europe have experienced a rise in authoritarianism in the past two decades. However, South America has had successful "purges" of corrupt officials although many suspect that the anti-government movements in South America are losing power.
I agree that if these allegations turn out to be true, it is good that the legislature is taking them seriously. Corruption seems to permeate all levels of South American politics. Brazil is the only South American country I have studied in any depth before, so it is interesting to learn more about how it impacts other countries, such as Peru and Bolivia.
I will be interested to see how elections in Peru turn out and they may impact the country. Some of the candidates expected to run next year seem particularly interesting, although many of them also carry their own baggage with them.
Reading today’s reading was eerily similar to what the United States faced within the last year. The United States started the process of impeachment for our President like Peru is doing for their President. The process to remove a sitting president in the US requires a simple majority in the US house and 2/3 votes in the Senate which is similar to the Peru which require a 2/3 vote to remove a president. What I thought was interesting was the article stated that if removed that he would be the 6th president to be removed since 2000. This was unbelievable to me as in the history of the United States, we have only had 4 Presidents face possible impeachment, compared to Peru. The last aspect of this article which was hard to wrap my head around was congress debating to remove the President for “Moral Incapacity”. In the United States, you can be removed for treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. I just wonder what would have happened to many of the US presidents if the US allowed impeachment for “moral Incapacity”. I personally believe that the US would have many more then just 4 cases of potential impeachment.
Great analysis of the situation. From my experience and knowledge, in many South American countries impeachment can be used as a tool to get rid of a candidate you dislike. In the case of Peru, there may be legitimate legal issues that warrant the impeachment of the president, but I think the legislature's opposition to the president provides a clear incentive for them to apply impeachment as liberally as possible. "Moral Incapacity" is hard to define, and keeps impeachment open for anyone who they dislike and they have popular support to remove. This is why it is good that in the US, we have a strong process for impeachment. Though one could possibly argue that impeachment in the US, dating back to Andrew Johnson, is politically motivated.
After hearing about Vizcarra's corruption over the years it is good to see that action is finally being taken. It is interesting to compare the impeachment process of the United States to that in Peru and watch these legal battles progress so close together. The statistics for the rate of condemned presidents in Peru is shocking, and likely an indicator of a larger problem of corruption in the country, six presidents in the last twenty years is not a good ratio. As the article mentions, it is ironic to see that Vizcarra so quickly was tried for crimes of corruption seeing as fighting that was a large part of hi s platform to begin. Another similarity that can be drawn between this situation and the United States is that of an incredibly polarized governing body surrounding the president.
The COVID response is an interesting situation because there is obviously something to be said for the steps that Vizcarra took. The lockdown and stimulus like package has been implemented around the world as a foolproof way to, at least in the short-term, keep your country safe and above water. I think this is a good example that for a situation as trying as the COVID-19 pandemic there is not one solution that will work for everyone. This is where we can implement the network of communication and international cooperation that our current globalization has perpetuated.
I find the opposition party's tactics of attaching Vizcarra for his handling of the pandemic to reflect on his larger problems a similar decision to many United States politicians during the 2020 election, although these were far from the first complaints about Trump's governance style.
Like others here, I am not widely versed in Latin American politics, but I was surprised to learn that Peru was considered "the gateway to Asia" among the South American economies. It makes sense geographically.
The reading alludes to China's efforts to exert its influence in the region and in Venezuela itself. I wonder if the high levels of corruption and economic fallout of the Pandemic will make these states that much more vulnerable to Chinese influence.
Overall, the World Bank's actions in Bolivia seem to be very beneficial to the nation of Bolivia. I am not a master of Bolivian society or economics, but based on some of my research on developing economies in Africa, many of these policies seem sound.
Africa is a rapidly growing continent and also a very young continent. This also means that it will almost inevitably mean increased youth unemployment. This creates a variety of issues. For one, unemployed youth are more easily recruited by terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram. In 2011, a World Bank survey suggested that 40% of those who join rebel movements were motivated by a lack of jobs. In Africa, more investment in industry and agriculture are methods to solve this. In 2017, the AU requested that member states devote 15% of their national budgets to agriculture. Due to this, I am glad that Bolivia and the World Bank are taking youth unemployment very seriously. I think the stipend program to keep young mothers in the workforce is particularly important.
I was also drawn to the section on improving transportation. Drawing on Africa again, many of the articles I have read on development in Africa has argued that improved transportation infrastructure has immense economic benefits. It can improve access to healthcare and even theoretically open up more job opportunities. In Mali, the World Bank International Development Association rehabilitated 45 kilometers of road with the purpose of benefiting people living in traditionally excluded areas.
I was pleased to see that climate change is included in the World Bank's Strategy for Bolivia. Natural disasters have historically and presently been a prevalent issue in Latin America & the Caribbean and have caused vast amounts of poverty, especially in Bolivia. Climate change in the region has not only caused natural disasters but changes in irrigation and crop cultivation. It is important to take note of the demographics within these circumstances as well. In many of the rural areas of Bolivia, women are more vulnerable and usually the ones responsible for production and preparation of food. Recently Teresa Hosse, representative of the Bolivian Platform against Climate Changesays the South American country’s unique composition of highland (Altiplano), valley and Amazon makes it among those worst-affected by the consequences of global warming. Hopefully the World Bank can continue to invest in its program of the surveillance and defense of climate change in the region, as well as its priority to provide services to women and children. Another interesting fact about Bolivia in relation to economics is that the country is home to the highest percentage of indigenous communities. Unfortunately much of the poverty within the country is concentrated within these indigenous groups. The focus on rural communities from the World Bank will also hopefully be a continuous goal in upcoming years.
I agree it is good to see the World Bank focusing on climate change. It would be somewhat hypocritical to focus on resilient agriculture as a means of improving the economy and not to acknowledge that a strong climate adaption program is necessary to attain this. This is the same focus in many African countries. The Sahel region is especially impacted by the effects of climate change, and there have been numerous studies and programs to attempt to help adapt agriculture to climate change.
Reading this was very interesting to me as I knew very little about the World Bank. COVID-19 has impacted every country in a different way and seeing how each country is dealing with it is very interesting to ascertain. Bolivia, according to this document has implemented several economic initiatives to protect the most vulnerable population, including cash transfers, the deferment of some tax payments, financial sector credits, and the partial payment of utility bills. This is one area where many people are upset with the US government. The US to my knowledge has not allowed partial payments of utility bills, however they have sent money transfers to citizens, also they stopped evictions although now evictions are starting to continue due to COVID-19 related problems. Regarding trying to stabilize the economy, the US has founded and financed many jobs specifically for COVID-19 research and positions needed during this unprecedented time. So, there are several key similarities between how the World Bank of Bolivia is operating and how the US is operating during this time. The one aspect of this document that caught my eye was even with tapping the Central Bank of Bolivia to finance COVID-19 procedures, Bolivia has a national debt of around 26.8 Billion while the US has a debt of around 27.2 Trillion.
You are absolutely right that there are many similarities between how nations have responded to COVID-19, and naturally, there are also many differences. Though in a lot of developing countries, their COVID-19 response must include improving health infrastructure. In the U.S., most people have at least relatively easy access to a hospital. In many developing communities, especially rural ones, they may be hours away from treatment at the nearest hospital. Financing for developing economies must also account for improving the health infrastructure itself. For example, in Nigeria, they had only about .8 ventilators and .5 hospital beds per million people in March of 2020.
Different challenges require that different countries react differently to the pandemic. But there are also many common elements.
I do not come from a background of public projects designed to promote stability and growth. Reading over the proposed projects are interesting. I enjoy seeing a government entity putting forth proposals to improve the nation and lives of the citizenry. I am curious to see the long-term improvements to the quality of life for the communities referenced in the PICAR proposal(s). I do believe that these community investment projects will benefit the local citizenry. I am glad to see a government acknowledging under-privileged members of their society and providing them assistance. The PICAR and the Health Services Network Project both appear to be designed to improve the lives of Bolivian citizens and visitors. I do hope that Bolivia is able to complete these public infrastructure projects.
Bolivia seems to be handling COVID-19 well when compared to other South American countries. The economic measures that they have put in place were holistic and although the economy is still in a downturn, protected their vulnerable citizens and shielded them from a worse impact. It is also impressive to me that their plans mind climate change as a top priority. Bolivia has been affected severely by climate change, including decreased food security, water availability, worse natural disasters, more infections from diseased mosquitos, and higher rates of forest fires. Their Rural Alliances Project II is similar to many others in Africa that have been very successful, promoting the resources and skills of local citizens. These programs also seem to be a good promotion of gender inclusivity seeing as almost half are managed by women.
A lot of UN and World Bank development programs do a good job of assuring gender equality. When I was researching the projects the World Bank had in Africa, a lot of them involved empowering and assuring that women were included in these measures. This is especially important in a time of COVID-19, as many women work in service industry sectors that are more likely to be scaled down. The UN has estimated that as many as 96 million people, many of them women in the developing world, will be forced into poverty as a result of the pandemic.
Bolivia has had an eventful year, first with their longtime President Evo Morales being exiled on grounds of election fraud, which have turned out to be questionable. They then had a far right government, which then lost to Evo Morales' party in the recent election. Just this week before the new President Luis Arce was to be sworn in he was almost assassinated in an attack with dynamite. All of this has been on top of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economic emergency that followed it. Bolivia is trying to reduce the impact of crisis on the economy but needs the help of the World Bank to provide financial security.
That is quite the series of events for any country to withstand. It is important now that the nation works to secure the wellbeing of their citizens if it wants to preserve stability. And I also think that the World Bank, and the international community at large, has a role to play in assuring stability and preventing political chaos.
It is promising to see Latin America taking such an immediate approach to climate change and their energy crisis as they have natural resources and geographic advantage when it comes to innovating and developing renewable energy. The United States has invested2.2billion dollars in Argentina and 6.8billion in Brazil for clean and renewable energy development as they are some of the prime locations as well as locations that have quite a bit to gain from a decrease in speed of the rise of climate change.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is supporting some of Latin America's national and regional initiatives. This includes the Clean Energy Corridor of Central America (CECCA) which "supports the accelerated deployment and cross-border trade of renewable power in Central America, in the context of the regional electricity market and regional transmission system". Also, the Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) that "assesses the suitability of conditions in different countries for the development and deployment of renewable energy, along with the actions required to improve those conditions", regions that have completed RRAs include Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. Finally, theRenewable Energy Market Analysis, which was published by the IRENA to serve as a comprehensive review of the region's energy development.
I am glad to see that the US has invested in Argentina and Brazil and sent representatives to attend this roundtable meeting. It demonstrates that the US is taking sustainable energy development seriously. One thing that came up in yesterday's discussion was the conflict between China's domestic energy goals and the types of projects they funded in other countries.
In Africa, the US has the Power Africa program, which is meant to provide electricity to people living across Sub-Saharan Africa. This program involves investment in a variety of different energy sources, including natural gas, oil, hydro-electric, solar, and wind. The majority of energy developed in most countries is through fossil fuels. Perhaps in this vein, the US is not much better than China in its policy on development in Africa. Hopefully, as the project moves forward it moves closer and closer to meeting sustainable development goals.
@Jay Rosato The United States and China are very similar in their efforts abroad. The United States has spread climate change more than any other country due to their release of greenhouse emissions, disappointing enforcement of climate deals, not supporting the funding efforts they promised to, wildlife trafficking popularity, exporting of solid and chemical waste, and many other reasons.
COVID-19 has certainly had an impact on energy around the world and does give nations the opportunity to build a better new normal after full-scale operations resume. Across Latin American cities, air quality improved drastically after lockdowns, perhaps giving countries a chance to reconsider their energy policies. It is important that countries in the developing world have conferences like this OLADE IEA conference to prioritize the future and energy sustainability as these nations rebuild their economies. It was also good to see the US get involved in this conference, and promote sustainable development all over the world. Hopefully, this type of plan can be also applied in Africa, which is similarly facing economic consequences due to COVID, and must create a solid plan to redevelop their energy sector in the post-COVID crisis. Africa is making solid efforts towards developing renewable energy, much like Latin America, but more African nations need to be mindful and incorporate sustainability into their development goals.
I was interested in the repeated mention of gender inequality within the energy industry. This should perhaps be an important goal of the energy industry, given that the energy sector around the world remains one of the least gender-diverse in the world, with only 11% of energy patents applications listing women as a contributor. I wish the document had elaborated a little more on how to fix this beyond just increasing access to education. I would be interested to see more research on this issue.
Latin America has had very severe impacts of climate change, so this mild recession in CO2 release has allowed conditions to improve. This article does a very good job of discussing the intersection of the pandemic and climate policies.
I find it quite interesting that while COVID-19 is impacting the world so negatively, nations are using it as an opportunity to grow and seize new opportunities. It is a good thing in my opinion to see nations utilizing the damage COVID-19 has caused and seeing the ways we can grow in recovery. So many regions of the world, developed and underdeveloped, are taking the negative and finding positive by implementing more renewable energy and finding more sustainable methods of living.
When it comes to the climate, COVID was actually quite beneficial. This dip in production and transportation led us to some of the lowest levels of pollution over the most heavily quarantined months. While obviously the cause behind this is not ideal, it has given lawmakers time to consider greener solutions for when we return to normal. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/05/19/greenhouse-emissions-coronavirus/?arc404=true
COVID has definitely been beneficial to climate, and it is good to see that nations are using this brief moment of respite for the environment to more carefully consider how they will push forward with energy development. The big question will be if whether or not we can push through sustainable solutions as we work to define what life will look like after COVID-19.
It is great that Latin America is being proactive about their future, and I hope that other regions of the world follow suit and begin to take action on protecting the climate.
As many Latin American economies started to expand before COVID-19, their policies on green energy expanded too. Many countries in Latin America have banned plastic bags in stores and are trying to ban and reduce other plastic products. Efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions are becoming more of a priority in South America. Many South and Central American countries are part of the UN's Clean Seas initiative. With some of the most biodiverse areas of the ocean being in Central American and South America, it is important to preserve the environmental health of these areas. However, the forests and rivers of South America, equally known for their biodiversity, are endangered through illegal poaching, deforestation, expansion and pollution. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized for his disregard for Amazon rainforests, notably when a large portion of the rainforests burned earlier this year.
I have learned so much reading Latin America’s Energy Review. I think that if top officials and Ministers at one table is the right step forward. That would be where many policies are developed and discussed so I commend organizations like International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organización Latinoamericana de Energía (OLADE) for existing because they play such a pivotal role in leading the industry and the fact that they represent close to 70% of the region’s energy demands is amazing. As technology advances I have no doubt that more sustainable and resilient energy systems will be on the rise and made available to more and more of the populations around the world so I am happy to see Latin America speaking about future plans in that regard. I think that with the damage Covid has done I commend Latin America for taking charge and making energy development a priority.
I agree with my colleagues in that it is refreshing to see international traction on the efforts to exploit the corona crisis as an opportunity of building back better with green and sustainable energy. It is good that more and more countries recognize the economic potential of reforming the energy sector.
The document also acknowledges that "Latin America" is not a monolith: "Implementation of recovery plans needs to take into account the realities of the different subregions: the Caribbean faces different challenges than Central America or the Southern Cone." This is true for all regions of the world. Approaches to tackling climate change and normalizing sustainable energy will have to be designed and applied with regional contexts in mind.
If international efforts like this can maintain their momentum, we make actually be able to survive the climate crisis.
As we see in today's document, the U.S. is by no means the only country going through a tense political period. It is very interesting and important to note that Peru has gone through five impeachments with presidents since 2000. It is also very interesting to review the contrast between this year in last year in terms of President Viszcarra as he was very well liked and respected when first elected in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused complete chaos in most nations & especially in Latin America where the pandemic has peaked over the last couple of months. The pandemic has also seemingly shed light on the competency of world leaders in the face of crisis, including Vizcarro. Over the past year, the region has faced a variety of corruption allegations against Presidents and other political figures including Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras and most notably Venezuela. It is disappointing to see that there has been continuous and prevailing trend of of corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean seeing as though the citizens receive the brunt of its consequences. It is clear that there is no single solution in this issue but at the very least, accountability and exposure never hurts. As of last week, 60 lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment proceedings and 40 opposed. It is projected that later today (11/9) congress will come to a more clear decision. Interested to hear what everyone else thinks of the reading!
I agree that the trend of corruption in Latin America is worrying. The most exposure I have to Latin American corruption is through Operation Car Wash in Brazil and the ensuing fallout, which had a lasting negative impact on the country for years to come. But in general, corruption across Latin America is preventing good democratic governance and opening the doors to increased turnover for leadership and decreased trust in political institutions. Five impeachments in 20 years is a lot and generally does not symbolize a strong democracy. And the pandemic does not make anything better, as it would take a real political mastermind to effectively maneuver this crisis without significant damage to the country.
I'm curious as to whether or not you have any thoughts on any of the potential candidates running in Peruvian elections in 2021, or more broadly what elections there may mean for the country's and the region's future. Especially if the pandemic has not ceased its grip over the region.
@Jay Rosato In my opinion the upcoming election will definitely be an altering/signifigant one in considering all that is happening with Vizcarra right now. While I know that Vizcarra will not be allowed to run again, I believe there is still some uncertainty regarding candidates running in 2021. Political parties in Peru vary and according to reports, there are virtually no broad-based political movements or coalitions with extensive popular support nation-wide. Something that I read that I found quite interesting and ironic is that when President Vizcarra recently commented on the upcoming 2021 election, he urged political parties to choose good and honest candidates. Whatever the outcome is I hope that the future president displays transparency in his leadership. Hopefully this situation and election can set a good example in the region overall.
Prior to this article I was unaware of the specifics of Peru’s situation. I had a vague understanding there was political strife, but my attention was more towards Venezuela when it came to South America. The long-standing battle with political corruption in Peru is interesting. I have been made aware that blockchain technology can be used to aid in the fight against corruption [1] [2]. The consistency of bribes being accepted has proven to be problematic for the government of Peru. I do believe that it would benefit Peru to invest into blockchain provided the government believes it to be a solution. Having six presidents in 20-years facing corruption charges demands change. COVID-19 impacting Peru comes at no surprise to me. Having COVID-19 hit the country during political strife certainly has created significant problems for the nation. I am curious to see how Peru adapts to the multidimensional challenges it faces.
[1]. Blockchain helping against corruption
[2]. Cryptocurrency in developing countries
I had never thought about cryptocurrencies being used as a tool to fight corruption. Though it makes sense, given that blockchain is decentralized, and therefore harder to tamper with and easier to prove.
You briefly brought up the idea that poor governance has aided the spread of COVID-19 in a lot of countries, which I think is an important recognition. I would also say that how formal the economy is, and therefore the ability of the government to regulate it, also contributes to this. Evan Ellis brought up the fact that the large informal sector of the economy had contributed to the spread. This is a similar issue in Africa, where the informal sector is getting hit very hard by COVID-19 and many people are losing their livelihoods or even their lives due to the virus. As many as 55 million domestic workers around the world, many of whom work informally, are now at threat. So in this regard, I agree that poor governance has led to Peru getting hit worse both in terms of loss of life and in terms of its economy.
I'm not very well versed in South American politics, but this situation reminds me somewhat of what happened in Brazil in 2016. Dilma Rousseff, who had been in office for only a year and a half, was impeached from office on charges of corruption and creative accounting, though some argue that it was a "coup" by the opposition to remove her from power as the economy worsened. I see some similarities to this in Peru, where the virus has hit very hard and the economy has suffered because of it. In this vein, I can see an opportune legislative branch, dominated by opposition to the president, seeking to take advantage of the chaos and level corruption charges and have popular support for impeachment. It also helps that President Viscarra dissolved the congress last year, which may contribute to the bitterness between the two branches.
But I don't fully understand the political timing of this vote. President Vizcarra only has about five months left on his term. There was also already an impeachment effort just a couple of months ago, which failed. Attempting to do so again just seems like it will further wear away public support and continue to erode trust in the legislature as a neutral body. Not to mention that based on the article, the risks associated with impeaching the president and then allowing the parliamentary head to potentially postpone elections seems like a great risk.
I would be curious to see if anyone has any thoughts on why impeachment might be a sound political strategy for the opposition. I am also curious to see how the legislature votes later tonight.
I am glad to see that the Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra is being held accountable (or at least attempted to) for his charges of corruption. Many leaders in South America this year have been accused of corruption and authoritarianism. Bolivia's longtime leader Evo Morales, who was accused of rigging the most recent election for him in 2019 in his favor, was exiled from Boliva last year, but today returned to the nation. While the credibility of him rigging the election has been disputed, there is evidence that Evo Morales has become more corrupt in his fourteen year presidency. The newly elected President of Bolivia, Luis Arce (who was almost assassinated on Friday), welcomed Evo Morales back to Bolivia but said that he would not play a role in his government. Widespread protests last year against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his corruption and authoritarian rule sparked international outcry against his brutal suppression of the protestors. Similarly, protests against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last year for his authoritarian rule were suppressed as well. Authoritarianism and corruption are not just South American phenomena, as many countries in Asia and East Europe have experienced a rise in authoritarianism in the past two decades. However, South America has had successful "purges" of corrupt officials although many suspect that the anti-government movements in South America are losing power.
https://www.prweb.com/releases/why_latin_america_s_corruption_crackdown_is_at_risk_and_how_to_save_it_in_the_new_issue_of_americas_quarterly/prweb16455654.htm
I agree that if these allegations turn out to be true, it is good that the legislature is taking them seriously. Corruption seems to permeate all levels of South American politics. Brazil is the only South American country I have studied in any depth before, so it is interesting to learn more about how it impacts other countries, such as Peru and Bolivia.
I will be interested to see how elections in Peru turn out and they may impact the country. Some of the candidates expected to run next year seem particularly interesting, although many of them also carry their own baggage with them.
Reading today’s reading was eerily similar to what the United States faced within the last year. The United States started the process of impeachment for our President like Peru is doing for their President. The process to remove a sitting president in the US requires a simple majority in the US house and 2/3 votes in the Senate which is similar to the Peru which require a 2/3 vote to remove a president. What I thought was interesting was the article stated that if removed that he would be the 6th president to be removed since 2000. This was unbelievable to me as in the history of the United States, we have only had 4 Presidents face possible impeachment, compared to Peru. The last aspect of this article which was hard to wrap my head around was congress debating to remove the President for “Moral Incapacity”. In the United States, you can be removed for treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. I just wonder what would have happened to many of the US presidents if the US allowed impeachment for “moral Incapacity”. I personally believe that the US would have many more then just 4 cases of potential impeachment.
Great analysis of the situation. From my experience and knowledge, in many South American countries impeachment can be used as a tool to get rid of a candidate you dislike. In the case of Peru, there may be legitimate legal issues that warrant the impeachment of the president, but I think the legislature's opposition to the president provides a clear incentive for them to apply impeachment as liberally as possible. "Moral Incapacity" is hard to define, and keeps impeachment open for anyone who they dislike and they have popular support to remove. This is why it is good that in the US, we have a strong process for impeachment. Though one could possibly argue that impeachment in the US, dating back to Andrew Johnson, is politically motivated.
After hearing about Vizcarra's corruption over the years it is good to see that action is finally being taken. It is interesting to compare the impeachment process of the United States to that in Peru and watch these legal battles progress so close together. The statistics for the rate of condemned presidents in Peru is shocking, and likely an indicator of a larger problem of corruption in the country, six presidents in the last twenty years is not a good ratio. As the article mentions, it is ironic to see that Vizcarra so quickly was tried for crimes of corruption seeing as fighting that was a large part of hi s platform to begin. Another similarity that can be drawn between this situation and the United States is that of an incredibly polarized governing body surrounding the president.
The COVID response is an interesting situation because there is obviously something to be said for the steps that Vizcarra took. The lockdown and stimulus like package has been implemented around the world as a foolproof way to, at least in the short-term, keep your country safe and above water. I think this is a good example that for a situation as trying as the COVID-19 pandemic there is not one solution that will work for everyone. This is where we can implement the network of communication and international cooperation that our current globalization has perpetuated.
I find the opposition party's tactics of attaching Vizcarra for his handling of the pandemic to reflect on his larger problems a similar decision to many United States politicians during the 2020 election, although these were far from the first complaints about Trump's governance style.
The votes appear to be in, and President Martín Vizcarra was impeached.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/world/americas/Peru-president-Vizcarra-impeached.html
Like others here, I am not widely versed in Latin American politics, but I was surprised to learn that Peru was considered "the gateway to Asia" among the South American economies. It makes sense geographically.
The reading alludes to China's efforts to exert its influence in the region and in Venezuela itself. I wonder if the high levels of corruption and economic fallout of the Pandemic will make these states that much more vulnerable to Chinese influence.
Overall, the World Bank's actions in Bolivia seem to be very beneficial to the nation of Bolivia. I am not a master of Bolivian society or economics, but based on some of my research on developing economies in Africa, many of these policies seem sound.
Africa is a rapidly growing continent and also a very young continent. This also means that it will almost inevitably mean increased youth unemployment. This creates a variety of issues. For one, unemployed youth are more easily recruited by terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram. In 2011, a World Bank survey suggested that 40% of those who join rebel movements were motivated by a lack of jobs. In Africa, more investment in industry and agriculture are methods to solve this. In 2017, the AU requested that member states devote 15% of their national budgets to agriculture. Due to this, I am glad that Bolivia and the World Bank are taking youth unemployment very seriously. I think the stipend program to keep young mothers in the workforce is particularly important.
I was also drawn to the section on improving transportation. Drawing on Africa again, many of the articles I have read on development in Africa has argued that improved transportation infrastructure has immense economic benefits. It can improve access to healthcare and even theoretically open up more job opportunities. In Mali, the World Bank International Development Association rehabilitated 45 kilometers of road with the purpose of benefiting people living in traditionally excluded areas.
I was pleased to see that climate change is included in the World Bank's Strategy for Bolivia. Natural disasters have historically and presently been a prevalent issue in Latin America & the Caribbean and have caused vast amounts of poverty, especially in Bolivia. Climate change in the region has not only caused natural disasters but changes in irrigation and crop cultivation. It is important to take note of the demographics within these circumstances as well. In many of the rural areas of Bolivia, women are more vulnerable and usually the ones responsible for production and preparation of food. Recently Teresa Hosse, representative of the Bolivian Platform against Climate Change says the South American country’s unique composition of highland (Altiplano), valley and Amazon makes it among those worst-affected by the consequences of global warming. Hopefully the World Bank can continue to invest in its program of the surveillance and defense of climate change in the region, as well as its priority to provide services to women and children. Another interesting fact about Bolivia in relation to economics is that the country is home to the highest percentage of indigenous communities. Unfortunately much of the poverty within the country is concentrated within these indigenous groups. The focus on rural communities from the World Bank will also hopefully be a continuous goal in upcoming years.
I agree it is good to see the World Bank focusing on climate change. It would be somewhat hypocritical to focus on resilient agriculture as a means of improving the economy and not to acknowledge that a strong climate adaption program is necessary to attain this. This is the same focus in many African countries. The Sahel region is especially impacted by the effects of climate change, and there have been numerous studies and programs to attempt to help adapt agriculture to climate change.
Reading this was very interesting to me as I knew very little about the World Bank. COVID-19 has impacted every country in a different way and seeing how each country is dealing with it is very interesting to ascertain. Bolivia, according to this document has implemented several economic initiatives to protect the most vulnerable population, including cash transfers, the deferment of some tax payments, financial sector credits, and the partial payment of utility bills. This is one area where many people are upset with the US government. The US to my knowledge has not allowed partial payments of utility bills, however they have sent money transfers to citizens, also they stopped evictions although now evictions are starting to continue due to COVID-19 related problems. Regarding trying to stabilize the economy, the US has founded and financed many jobs specifically for COVID-19 research and positions needed during this unprecedented time. So, there are several key similarities between how the World Bank of Bolivia is operating and how the US is operating during this time. The one aspect of this document that caught my eye was even with tapping the Central Bank of Bolivia to finance COVID-19 procedures, Bolivia has a national debt of around 26.8 Billion while the US has a debt of around 27.2 Trillion.
You are absolutely right that there are many similarities between how nations have responded to COVID-19, and naturally, there are also many differences. Though in a lot of developing countries, their COVID-19 response must include improving health infrastructure. In the U.S., most people have at least relatively easy access to a hospital. In many developing communities, especially rural ones, they may be hours away from treatment at the nearest hospital. Financing for developing economies must also account for improving the health infrastructure itself. For example, in Nigeria, they had only about .8 ventilators and .5 hospital beds per million people in March of 2020.
Different challenges require that different countries react differently to the pandemic. But there are also many common elements.
I do not come from a background of public projects designed to promote stability and growth. Reading over the proposed projects are interesting. I enjoy seeing a government entity putting forth proposals to improve the nation and lives of the citizenry. I am curious to see the long-term improvements to the quality of life for the communities referenced in the PICAR proposal(s). I do believe that these community investment projects will benefit the local citizenry. I am glad to see a government acknowledging under-privileged members of their society and providing them assistance. The PICAR and the Health Services Network Project both appear to be designed to improve the lives of Bolivian citizens and visitors. I do hope that Bolivia is able to complete these public infrastructure projects.
Bolivia seems to be handling COVID-19 well when compared to other South American countries. The economic measures that they have put in place were holistic and although the economy is still in a downturn, protected their vulnerable citizens and shielded them from a worse impact. It is also impressive to me that their plans mind climate change as a top priority. Bolivia has been affected severely by climate change, including decreased food security, water availability, worse natural disasters, more infections from diseased mosquitos, and higher rates of forest fires. Their Rural Alliances Project II is similar to many others in Africa that have been very successful, promoting the resources and skills of local citizens. These programs also seem to be a good promotion of gender inclusivity seeing as almost half are managed by women.
A lot of UN and World Bank development programs do a good job of assuring gender equality. When I was researching the projects the World Bank had in Africa, a lot of them involved empowering and assuring that women were included in these measures. This is especially important in a time of COVID-19, as many women work in service industry sectors that are more likely to be scaled down. The UN has estimated that as many as 96 million people, many of them women in the developing world, will be forced into poverty as a result of the pandemic.
Bolivia has had an eventful year, first with their longtime President Evo Morales being exiled on grounds of election fraud, which have turned out to be questionable. They then had a far right government, which then lost to Evo Morales' party in the recent election. Just this week before the new President Luis Arce was to be sworn in he was almost assassinated in an attack with dynamite. All of this has been on top of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economic emergency that followed it. Bolivia is trying to reduce the impact of crisis on the economy but needs the help of the World Bank to provide financial security.
That is quite the series of events for any country to withstand. It is important now that the nation works to secure the wellbeing of their citizens if it wants to preserve stability. And I also think that the World Bank, and the international community at large, has a role to play in assuring stability and preventing political chaos.
It is promising to see Latin America taking such an immediate approach to climate change and their energy crisis as they have natural resources and geographic advantage when it comes to innovating and developing renewable energy. The United States has invested 2.2billion dollars in Argentina and 6.8billion in Brazil for clean and renewable energy development as they are some of the prime locations as well as locations that have quite a bit to gain from a decrease in speed of the rise of climate change.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is supporting some of Latin America's national and regional initiatives. This includes the Clean Energy Corridor of Central America (CECCA) which "supports the accelerated deployment and cross-border trade of renewable power in Central America, in the context of the regional electricity market and regional transmission system". Also, the Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) that "assesses the suitability of conditions in different countries for the development and deployment of renewable energy, along with the actions required to improve those conditions", regions that have completed RRAs include Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. Finally, the Renewable Energy Market Analysis, which was published by the IRENA to serve as a comprehensive review of the region's energy development.
I am glad to see that the US has invested in Argentina and Brazil and sent representatives to attend this roundtable meeting. It demonstrates that the US is taking sustainable energy development seriously. One thing that came up in yesterday's discussion was the conflict between China's domestic energy goals and the types of projects they funded in other countries.
In Africa, the US has the Power Africa program, which is meant to provide electricity to people living across Sub-Saharan Africa. This program involves investment in a variety of different energy sources, including natural gas, oil, hydro-electric, solar, and wind. The majority of energy developed in most countries is through fossil fuels. Perhaps in this vein, the US is not much better than China in its policy on development in Africa. Hopefully, as the project moves forward it moves closer and closer to meeting sustainable development goals.
@Jay Rosato The United States and China are very similar in their efforts abroad. The United States has spread climate change more than any other country due to their release of greenhouse emissions, disappointing enforcement of climate deals, not supporting the funding efforts they promised to, wildlife trafficking popularity, exporting of solid and chemical waste, and many other reasons.
COVID-19 has certainly had an impact on energy around the world and does give nations the opportunity to build a better new normal after full-scale operations resume. Across Latin American cities, air quality improved drastically after lockdowns, perhaps giving countries a chance to reconsider their energy policies. It is important that countries in the developing world have conferences like this OLADE IEA conference to prioritize the future and energy sustainability as these nations rebuild their economies. It was also good to see the US get involved in this conference, and promote sustainable development all over the world. Hopefully, this type of plan can be also applied in Africa, which is similarly facing economic consequences due to COVID, and must create a solid plan to redevelop their energy sector in the post-COVID crisis. Africa is making solid efforts towards developing renewable energy, much like Latin America, but more African nations need to be mindful and incorporate sustainability into their development goals.
I was interested in the repeated mention of gender inequality within the energy industry. This should perhaps be an important goal of the energy industry, given that the energy sector around the world remains one of the least gender-diverse in the world, with only 11% of energy patents applications listing women as a contributor. I wish the document had elaborated a little more on how to fix this beyond just increasing access to education. I would be interested to see more research on this issue.
Latin America has had very severe impacts of climate change, so this mild recession in CO2 release has allowed conditions to improve. This article does a very good job of discussing the intersection of the pandemic and climate policies.
I find it quite interesting that while COVID-19 is impacting the world so negatively, nations are using it as an opportunity to grow and seize new opportunities. It is a good thing in my opinion to see nations utilizing the damage COVID-19 has caused and seeing the ways we can grow in recovery. So many regions of the world, developed and underdeveloped, are taking the negative and finding positive by implementing more renewable energy and finding more sustainable methods of living.
When it comes to the climate, COVID was actually quite beneficial. This dip in production and transportation led us to some of the lowest levels of pollution over the most heavily quarantined months. While obviously the cause behind this is not ideal, it has given lawmakers time to consider greener solutions for when we return to normal. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/05/19/greenhouse-emissions-coronavirus/?arc404=true
COVID has definitely been beneficial to climate, and it is good to see that nations are using this brief moment of respite for the environment to more carefully consider how they will push forward with energy development. The big question will be if whether or not we can push through sustainable solutions as we work to define what life will look like after COVID-19.
It is great that Latin America is being proactive about their future, and I hope that other regions of the world follow suit and begin to take action on protecting the climate.
As many Latin American economies started to expand before COVID-19, their policies on green energy expanded too. Many countries in Latin America have banned plastic bags in stores and are trying to ban and reduce other plastic products. Efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions are becoming more of a priority in South America. Many South and Central American countries are part of the UN's Clean Seas initiative. With some of the most biodiverse areas of the ocean being in Central American and South America, it is important to preserve the environmental health of these areas. However, the forests and rivers of South America, equally known for their biodiversity, are endangered through illegal poaching, deforestation, expansion and pollution. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized for his disregard for Amazon rainforests, notably when a large portion of the rainforests burned earlier this year.
It is great to see developing countries take a strong stand on supporting sustainable development. Similar to other African countries, Kenya also instituted a ban on plastic bags a couple of years back, while Morocco is focusing heavily on developing its solar energy growth. It is great to see many of these countries developing their economies sustainably, and hopefully, this positive growth continues post-COVID.
I have learned so much reading Latin America’s Energy Review. I think that if top officials and Ministers at one table is the right step forward. That would be where many policies are developed and discussed so I commend organizations like International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organización Latinoamericana de Energía (OLADE) for existing because they play such a pivotal role in leading the industry and the fact that they represent close to 70% of the region’s energy demands is amazing. As technology advances I have no doubt that more sustainable and resilient energy systems will be on the rise and made available to more and more of the populations around the world so I am happy to see Latin America speaking about future plans in that regard. I think that with the damage Covid has done I commend Latin America for taking charge and making energy development a priority.
I agree with my colleagues in that it is refreshing to see international traction on the efforts to exploit the corona crisis as an opportunity of building back better with green and sustainable energy. It is good that more and more countries recognize the economic potential of reforming the energy sector.
The document also acknowledges that "Latin America" is not a monolith: "Implementation of recovery plans needs to take into account the realities of the different subregions: the Caribbean faces different challenges than Central America or the Southern Cone." This is true for all regions of the world. Approaches to tackling climate change and normalizing sustainable energy will have to be designed and applied with regional contexts in mind.
If international efforts like this can maintain their momentum, we make actually be able to survive the climate crisis.