Devex: Latin America sees largest decline in peacefulness as COVID-19 poses further threat
“South America is the region of the world where peace deteriorated most last year, followed by Central America and the Caribbean, according to the ‘Global Peace Index 2020’ report, with peacefulness expected to drop globally as a result of COVID-19. The index, an annual examination of peacefulness produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, ranks 163 countries using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators of peace in three domains: safety and security, ongoing conflict, and militarization. The organization also produced a brief examining the impact that the coronavirus will have on peace, predicting that most indicators are likely to worsen as the pandemic affects nearly all aspects of life…” (Welsh, 6/15).

Reuters: Coronavirus hitting the Americas hardest says World Health Organization
“The Americas are bearing the brunt of the global coronavirus pandemic at present, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, with North and South America currently having four of the 10 worst hit countries in the world. The disease was ‘highly active’ in Central and South America, the WHO’s top emergency expert Mike Ryan said, highlighting problems in Brazil and Mexico…” (Revill/Nebehay, 6/12).