COVID‐19 Has Exposed How 'The Other Half' (Still) Lives

In: Bulletin of Latin American research: the journal of the Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS), Band 39, Heft S1, S. 28-34

Abstract

Socioeconomic factors are heavily shaping the COVID‐19 pandemic in South America. Consequently, societies are now facing the stark effects of lockdown, while largely failing to stop the epidemic. In Chile, this has been amplified by decision‐makers who have overlooked critical socio‐spatial aspects of the epidemic. Precarious living conditions, together with spatial segregation and unstable domestic economies, help explain why mitigation strategies remain unsuccessful. The article also explores how political frameworks for approaching these issues may change because of the pandemic.