The Covid-19 pandemic has ravaged Latin American economies, throwing tens of millions of people out of work and crushing the livelihoods of informal workers who make up half the region’s labor force.  In response, most governments in the region have swiftly imposed quarantines, invested in struggling health care systems, and provided emergency support to vulnerable communities with little or no savings and small businesses with limited access to loans.

But so far, the region’s leaders have largely excluded Latin America’s biggest businesses from stimulus measures.  The desire to address the poor and most vulnerable enterprises makes sense in the initial pandemic response.  But it is raising questions about the potential economic impacts of bankruptcies among Latin America’s titans, particularly in hard-hit sectors such as hospitality and aviation.  As the region’s largest employers, these firms have an outsized impact on employment and overall economic activity.  How have these companies succeeded in softening the economic blow to their workers?  What is their capacity to survive a prolonged period of lockdown or a slow economic recovery?  What government policies are needed to get them back on their feet?  Given tight budgets in the region, is there a tradeoff between reactivating large firms and supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises?

Please join us for a webcast on Wednesday, May 6, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., EST, with four leading private sector leaders and conveners: