¿Cómo mejorar la educación? ¿Por dónde empezar? ¿La pandemia representa un momento bisagra? ¿Existe la posibilidad de redefinir una nueva escuela? En mayo de 2020, mientras comenzaban los primeros pasos de una dura cuarentena en la región, decidí poner estas esas preguntas sobre la mesa.
How do we improve education? Where do we start? Does the pandemic represent a pivotal moment?
La crisis sanitaria global ha generado incertidumbre en la opinión pública, siendo un espacio propicio para la difusión de información engañosa por parte de actores domésticos y extranjeros.
The rising tide of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda has been well-documented in recent years, particularly as internet access and social media consumption have become seemingly ubiquitous. But in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scourge of misinformation has intensified, with a cost that can—at least in some cases—be measured in human lives.
In an effort to reduce COVID-19 vaccine inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) have announced plans to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines within the region. Dr. Carissa Etienne, a native of Dominica and director of the PAHO, declared last week that the PAHO has reviewed roughly 30 proposed manufacturing schemes for Latin American and Caribbean states.
Once again, history seems to be repeating itself. The United States, along with the world’s other rich and mostly Western countries, continue to be accused of hoarding medical supplies, having purchased one billion surplus vaccine doses (more than is required to vaccinate their citizens). In their absence, China—and, to a lesser extent, Russia—have rushed to take advantage of the vaccine gap in the Global South, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The projections of all international organizations and private analysts indicate that Latin America’s economy will only partially recover in 2021. As economic growth during the quinquennium prior to the current crisis was close to zero, the region is immersed in a new lost decade.
At a decisive time, the U.S. chose to complain about China rather than offer leadership to solve Latin America’s COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the future is digital. As a result, it has highlighted the transformative power of technology for Latin America and the Caribbean, and accelerated its digital transformation, not only in leading start-up markets like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, but throughout the entire region.
The ambition and capability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to affect the political affairs of nations across Latin America and the Caribbean have only grown during the global pandemic. Recent events in Guyana and Paraguay show that COVID-19 vaccines have influenced governments, either directly or indirectly, toward Beijing’s political preferences.
