Latin American News Roundup May
As specialist logistics service providers to and from the region, Envío has summarised a few recent items of Latin American news from the month of May.
Brazil – The largest market for electric vehicles
Brazil has overtaken Belgium as the largest importer of Chinese new energy vehicles, as imports of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars from China has soared in recent times to over to 40,000 units per month. The strength of the market has already led to several Chinese carmakers investing in local production in Brazil, with at least two ready to start operations by early 2025.
Brazil – Massive Flooding Impacts Rio Grande do Sul
Days of heavy rain triggered massive flooding in Brazil’s southernmost state – Rio Grande do Sul – this month. More than half of the 497 cities in the state were severely affected by the storms, which led to widespread destruction and thousands losing their homes. The extreme weather is understood to have been caused by a rare combination of hotter than average temperatures, high humidity and strong winds.
Mexico – Presidential Election Race
The Mexican presidential election will come to an end this week, as its citizens will be casting their votes on 2nd June. Claudia Sheinbaum is the name that is topping all of the current opinion polls and she could be about to become Mexico’s first ever female president.
Haiti – Gang Violence Leads To Healthcare Issues
The combination of violence, mass displacement, dangerous epidemics, and increasing malnutrition has led to Haiti’s health system being “on the verge of collapse” according to Unicef, with six out of ten hospitals in the country being barely operational. Armed gangs still control much of the capital Port-au-Prince, and Unicef says millions of children are at risk of disease and malnutrition.
