☀ Domingo Brief — Chile’s Birth Rate Plummets

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Trivia of the Week 🎯

A mere 15% of you correctly guessed Juan Orlando Hernandez as the most recent Latin American leader to be sentenced to prison prior to Jair Bolsonaro (who was convicted and sentenced to 27 years just two weeks ago). Hernandez served as President of Honduras (2014—2022) for two consecutive terms, a member of the conservative National Party. In July 2021, Hernandez had his visa revoked by the US State Department for alleged involvement in corruption and illicit drug trafficking. Hernandez was extradited to the U.S., convicted, and sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison. Before him, Argentina’s CFK (who received 45% of votes) had been sentenced in 2022.

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🇦🇷 Argentina is negotiating new international loans to help cover debts payments due next year, as the central bank has dipped into its foreign currency reserves to stave off a sharp peso depreciation. The country’s financial health has come under threat amid a sell-off in domestic stocks, bonds, and the local currency as investors perceive President Javier Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, is losing political power. Earlier this month, the party suffered a heavy defeat in congressional midterm elections in Buenos Aires Province, ceding ground to the left-wing Peronist coalition.

🇨🇱 Chile has reported a sharp decline in birth rates, resulting in a fertility rate lower than Japan’s. The total fertility rate has plummeted 42% over the past decade, reaching an average of 1.03 births per woman in 2024 according to Chile’s national statistics institute, a figure well below the 2.1 ratio considered necessary to maintain a stable population. Rapid increases in social mobility and living costs have spurred women to delay or forgo motherhood, which, along with an ongoing push for gender equality in its conservative Catholic society, has affected middle class women the most.

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