The Latin American economy will grow only 1.3% in 2023
The rapid slowdown in Latin America and the Caribbean will continue during 2023, going from 6.7% registered in 2021, to 3.7% this year and 1.3% next year.
According to a report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the monetary policies adopted worldwide to curb the rise in global inflation have led to a drop in capital flows to emerging economies, including economies in the region.
On a positive note, ECLAC indicates that the reduction expected in world inflation for 2023 will tend to moderate the increases in the monetary policy rates of the main central banks.
The document also notes that the situation of the labor market in Latin America has worsenedboth due to an increase in the informal sector and a drop in real wages during 2022.
The UN Commission points out that this whole situation poses several macroeconomic challenges to the governments of the region.
Thus, for example, in fiscal matters it is advisable to avoid premature adjustments in spending. Also recommends expanding fiscal space by reducing tax evasion and reforms that increase tax collection and progressivity.
The climate of oppression in Nicaragua intensifies
FILE: Thousands of Nicaraguans protested in 2018 calling for social reforms.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights assured that the climate of oppression in Nicaragua has only intensified in recent months.
Volker Türk made that statement during his latest update on the human rights situation in the Central American country.
“The number of people arbitrarily detained for expressing their political views or for being seen as critical of the government went from 195 in September to 225 today (26 of them women and 199 men),” Türk said.
These figures include family members of political opponents detained, allegedly to coerce the latter into turning themselves in.
The High Commissioner pointed out that, as reported by his predecessor Michelle Bachelet, the conditions of the detainees are precarious.
“Those arrested in El Chipote continue to suffer inhumane conditions with limited access to medical care, balanced diets and regular family contact. His mental health deteriorates with each passing day,” Türk denounced.
The UN has evidence that summary executions in Ukraine may be war crimes
An eleven-year-old girl who lost both legs in the missile attack on the Kramatorsk train station is recovering at a hospital in the Ukrainian city of Lviv.
The High Commissioner also submitted to the Human Rights Council the report that the latter had requested regarding the killings of civilians by Russian troops in Ukraine.
Türk noted that his office has documented summary executions and attacks against civilians who took place in 102 Ukrainian towns and cities between February 24 and April 6.
In total, the Human Rights Office has been able to document the murder of 441 civilians, of whom 341 are men, 72 women, 20 boys and 8 girls.
“There are strong indications that the summary executions documented in the report may constitute the war crime of intentional killing,” Türk said, adding that actual figures are likely to be considerably higheras its staff is working to corroborate another 198 suspected homicides.
The High Commissioner indicated that in some cases civilians were killed in makeshift places of detention, while others were killed inside their homes or in their backyards, even when they showed that they did not pose a threat by raising their arms in the air.
Electricity, demining and a future, three things that Ukrainians urgently need
The UN delivers humanitarian aid in Kherson, a city that has returned to be under the control of the Ukrainian government.
Ukrainians urgently need three things: electricity, a land without mines and a future, said the UN assistant secretary general for humanitarian aid at the end of his four-day visit to the country.
“I was absolutely astounded to see how far electricity is the gateway to everything else. Without electricity, there is no heat. It’s cold. Without electricity, there are no medical services, there is no transportation, there is no light”, said Martin Griffiths, regarding the first need of the country.
The second he mentioned was the removal of mines. Griffiths was informed that in the Kherson region alone there are about half a million hectares of agricultural land affected.
“You cannot return the country to production without demining,” he assured before referring to the third most important need in the country, that of having a future.
“Even in war people want to see a future, or maybe especially in war. Reactivating elements of the local economy is a central priority for the people. People want to go back to work. He wants his children to go back to school, for transportation to work. He wants the economy to work, he wants there to be jobs,” Griffiths said.
