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Early COVID-19 policy responses in Latin America: a comparative analysis of social protection and health policy

Abstract:

In May 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Latin America an epicenter of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Governments have taken different approaches to tackling the crisis, but it is not clear if policies to address the health and economic dimensions of COVID-19 represent a radical departure from business as usual, or whether they simply reflect and reproduce unequal power relations and flawed institutions. This article seeks to address these questions by examining the health and social protection measures Latin American governments implemented in response to COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. We argue that, while there is cross-country variation with respect to COVID-19 policy, the similarities are more striking than the differences. Presidents play a decisive role in the policymaking process, particularly during a time of crisis, and their preferences explain some of the variation we see. But we find that decision-makers and bureaucracies are influenced and constrained by their countries’ institutions. Even during a global pandemic, policy reflects path dependency and serves to protect established interests while neglecting the needs of marginalized populations.