Santiago, Chile – Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean is the main cause of the high death rates from COVID-19 in the region, according to a joint report by Amnesty International and the Center for Economic and Social Rights.
Examining statistics from the start of the pandemic in 2020 through February of this year, the report published on Wednesday revealed that more than 1.6 million people in Latin America have died from causes related to COVID-19.
That would mean that Latin America accounted for almost a third (28 percent) of the total deaths from COVID-19, even though only 8.4 percent of the world’s population lives in the region.
“Death rates from COVID-19 are high around the world, but in Latin America, the numbers are disproportionate compared to the population,” Amnesty researcher Diego Vázquez told Al Jazeera.
The report cites “staggering inequality” as one of the main reasons behind the death rates, along with low public health spending, poor social security and historically low taxes.
Among the 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries mentioned, Peru had the higher death rates per capita, with poverty and pre-existing health conditions cited as the main reasons. In Brazil, racial discrimination and lack of access to health facilities for minority groups and indigenous peoples they were noted as central factors.
While there is no “one size fits all” solution, the report highlighted inequality as a common “human rights crisis” in the region that must be urgently addressed to prevent a repeat scenario.
In Chile, one of the most prosperous countries in the region, Amnesty highlighted the pitfalls of most of the country’s privatizations. Health Care Systemwhich is exclusive to those who can afford it.
“In Chile, the richest 20 percent in the country have 10 times more than the poorest, which is terrible,” Vázquez said, noting that Chile had the sixth highest rate of COVID-19 deaths per capita. behind Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Mexico.
“Because of the resources that Chile has, the results are not what one would expect,” he said.
Orlando Cortés lives in a poor neighborhood of Lo Espejo, a district on the outskirts of the Chilean capital, Santiago. He describes the area as a “red zone” plagued by unemployment, lack of education and high crime rates related to drug trafficking.
During the pandemic, Cortes turned his home into a soup kitchen to distribute meals to dozens of his struggling neighbors. “Here we do not have health rights, we live a different reality,” he said, referring to the high death rates from COVID-19 in the area. Cortes lost his brother to the virus last year, a moment he remembered as abrupt and painful.
“We don’t get help from the government. We have had to help each other if one of us is sick,” she said.
On Monday, Amnesty presented the report to health officials in the administration of Chilean President Gabriel Boric, highlighting the government’s commitment to human rights.
A left-wing millennial who took office in March, Boric’s election promises include reform of privatized sectors and increased public spending. Earlier this month, the government confirmed plans to raise the minimum wage from $424 (350,000 pesos) to $496 (400,000 pesos) as part of a $3.7 billion post-pandemic economic recovery plan.
Boric’s presidential agenda also contemplates drastic reforms in Chile’s health sector, establishing a universal health service and “strongly regulating” private prices.
However, Bank of America warned that spiraling inflation rates will be a central obstacle to Boric’s reform ambitions.
Meanwhile, the Amnesty report urged Chile to increase public spending on health from 4.7 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to at least 6 percent. “It’s difficult,” Vazquez acknowledged. “These are long-term goals that will not be achieved overnight.”