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Labour reform will not end social unrest in Panama

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PANAMA

Several workers’ unions launched protests in July in anticipation of the reform’s approval, claiming it undermines labour rights. The protests are symptomatic of growing…

Fresh Bolivian elections will be difficult

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BOLIVIA

The clashes come amid fuel and food shortages and follow weeks of violence in the wake of contested elections on October 20, which ultimately pushed former President Evo Morales…

Ramaphosa’s government faces social relief dilemmas

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SOUTH AFRICA

The pandemic has sharpened questions about the role of South Africa's extensive social grants system in wider economic policy. In particular, emergency provisions have focused…

Costa Rica’s pandemic response faces political hurdles

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COSTA RICA

In August, it asked the IMF for a USD1.75bn credit under the Extended Fund Facility. This will come on top of the USD504mn approved by the IMF for emergency financial assistance…

Arce and business to seek an accommodation in Bolivia

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BOLIVIA

President Luis Arce will seek to steer a consensual policy with respect to Bolivia’s business community, despite attacking some members of the former interim presidency of Jeanine…

Time has come to close more Polish coal mines

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POLAND

Efforts to tackle financial problems at state-owned coal miner Polska Grupa Gornicza (PGG) were deferred during the two-year election cycle which ended in July. PGG faces the…

South African budget prompts cheer and wider divisions

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SOUTH AFRICA

However, cuts to the social grants budget and a continued focus on the planned three-year wage freeze for civil servants has annoyed (among others) the ruling ANC's ‘Tripartite…

South African government faces public-sector showdown

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SOUTH AFRICA

The negotiations follow the government’s refusal last year to pay the final annual tranche of a previous three-year deal. Containing the public-sector wage bill is seen as key for…

State violence will embolden Mexico's CNTE

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MEXICO

Protests against President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reforms have intensified since June 19, when at least eight people were killed and more than 100 were injured in clashes…

Risks of widespread protests will endure in Costa Rica

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COSTA RICA

The move followed days of protests in response to plans for tax reforms designed to rein in the country’s burgeoning fiscal deficit.