Explaining Social Protection in Times of Crisis: Latin America Since COVID

• In Event: Civil Society and Subnational Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Americas

Abstract

The COVID-associated social protection responses of Latin American countries varied dramatically in speed, breadth and sufficiency. Building on the findings of Blofield, Giambruno and Filgueira’s report for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (published in Sept. 2020), we assess breadth and sufficiency in income support in existing non-contributory programs and the creation of new non-contributory assistance from April to December 2020 in ten Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico. Our tentative hypothesis is that the variation in breadth, sufficiency and duration is explained by different points of departure in welfare state infrastructure, legacies of post-millennium left government rule, divided government, and “competitive environment” (measured through recent social protest and imminence of elections). We draw on all publicly available data through government agencies and newspaper reports, complimented by virtual interviews with officials and experts. The output will be a short book monograph.

Authors

• Merike Blofield, German Institute of Global and Area Studies

• Jennifer Pribble, University of Richmond