Impact of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic on human rights in Latin America

Abstract

Latin American countries and their populations have not only suffered the devastating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic but also those of their governmentsʼ pandemic inactions, mismanagement and corruption practices. The particularities and the extension of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the lockdowns in Latin America have caused the violation of basic universal and fundamental human rights. Objective: Assess the catastrophic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and provide sustainable evidence that governmentsʼ inactions, mismanagement and corruption practices to fight it, including severe and over extensive lockdowns, have caused several violations to basic universal human rights. Methods: i) Comparative analysis of quantitative data corresponding to different regions (including Latin America) and referred to total COVID-19 total casualties due to the pandemic, measured as a ratio to million inhabitants. Data was published by Worldometer (Figure 1); ii) Comparative analysis of the Effective Lockdown Index corresponding to different geographical regions including Latin America, published by Oxford University, Google, Apple, Wind and Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research (Figure 2); iii) Regional comparative analysis of the impact of the Effective Lockdown Index on Gross Domestic Product corresponding to different geographical regions including Latin America, published by Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research (Figure 3); iv) COVID-19 Stringency Index on government restrictions strictness in different geographical regions including Latin America published by Our World in Data, corresponding to 2020 (Figure 4a); v) COVID-19 Stringency Index on government restrictions strictness in different geographical regions including Latin America published by Our World in Data, corresponding to 2021 (Figure 4b); vi) Comparative Transparency Perception Index 2020 vs. Transparency Perception Index 2018 reflecting different geographical regions including Latin America published by Transparency International (Figure 5); vi) Share of Population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 comparing different geographical regions including Latin America published by Our World in Data (Figure 6); vii) The Pandemic Democratic Violations Index comparing June, 2021 (Figure 7a) with March to June, 2020 (Figure 7b) for different regions including Latin America published by V-Dem Institute. Results: The research performed and the resulting data, show that despite very severe and extended lockdowns implemented by Latin American governments to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the region has suffered devastating consequences not only on the health side but also on their economies. Government mismanagement, inactions and corruption practices to fight the COVID-19 have caused very serious violations of basic universal human rights in the continent such as the ones related to education, circulation, trade and business management, work, healthcare, healthy environment enjoyment, data privacy. Discussion: After relating Latin American results with those of other regions, it is evident that governments in the Latin American region have wrongly or ineffectively implemented extended lockdowns which have caused flagrant human rights violations instead of increasing PCR tests and implementing effective and accelerated vaccination programs. Conclusion: There is sustainable data which provides significant evidence that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America has caused serious restrictions and violations of basic universal human rights.