Latin America was the last area in the world where confirmed cases of COVID-19 were found. However, the epidemic spread rapidly, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases in less than two months. Latin American countries took different measures to fight the virus: Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Bolivia took strict measures requiring home isolation, restricted the movement of the population and closed their borders, which was understood and supported by most of their people. The Chilean government adopted a partial and gradual isolation strategy, which aroused public dissatisfaction. In Brazil, conflict arose between the idea of taking strict isolation measures to combat the virus and loosening measures to save the poor economy, with many places seeing demonstrations against stay-at-home restrictions.

Affected by the epidemic, the economies of Latin American countries have seen increasing downward pressure, and the economic and social development of Latin America has taken a severe hit. The continent’s trade volume and value have both decreased; bulk commodity prices have fallen; its connection to global value chains has been interrupted; tourism services have shrunk; and the international financial environment has deteriorated. In this regard, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean believes that making collaborative anti-epidemic efforts is the only sustainable solution. Countries should explore new globalization methods and promote new models for more sustainable development.

What are the considerations behind the different epidemic prevention and control measures adopted by Latin American countries? What are their future prospects? Amid the epidemic, how will the changes in Latin America make a difference in the current international situation? How will China view the changes and the difference? From the perspectives of politics, economy, society, history, culture and public health, the workshop invited many experts to discuss the above topics. The experts were Li Jinzhang, former Chinese ambassador to Brazil; Dong Jingsheng, a professor in the Department of History of Peking University; Xie Zheng, deputy director of the Department of Global Health of the School of Public Health, Peking University; and Wu Hongying, director of the Latin America office of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.