Wuhan was the original epicenter. Then the coronavirus migrated to Europe. New York was the next hotspot, and now world health authorities are worried about South America.
The region as a whole is reporting more daily cases than the United States. And politics, rather than policy, seems to have informed the very different approaches that various South American countries have taken — with ideology appearing to have trumped best medical practices in some cases.
In Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he will resume travel around the country to kick off important public works projects, including a new railway in the southeast.
In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro defied his country’s own medical authorities by participating in multiple rallies supporting his government. The right-wing former military officer was even shaking hands with supporters and holding children in his arms.
And in Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega has turned the coronavirus pandemic into a political issue, saying his opponents are the ones who want people to stay home to create a financial crisis, undermining the country and his government.
