340,000 deaths in the Americas: Central America, North America, and South America
Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The coronavirus (Covid-19) death toll throughout the Americas is over 340,000. Hence, with most nations still in the spiral of death, one can only imagine the final death toll during the first wave. After all, daily infections in America, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and others remain horrendously high.
Thus the current death tolls of America 149,324, Brazil 86,496, Mexico 42,645, Peru 18,030, Chile 9,020, Canada 8,885, Colombia 8,629, Ecuador 5,507, Argentina 2,893, Bolivia 2,473, Guatemala 1,699, Panama 1,250, and Honduras 1,061 highlights the utter devastation of coronavirus.
Death tolls in Nicaragua and Venezuela are not credible. Hence 340,000 deaths are the minimum but probably much higher. Indeed, it is known that the death toll in Ecuador is enormously underreported – not based on a cover-up – because of internal limitations. Therefore, if excess deaths were totaled, the minimum figure is roughly 400,000 to 450,000.
In America and Brazil, the political differences are hindering containment based on political opportunism. Meanwhile, nighttime burials in Nicaragua shows that the government is hiding the crisis. Equally, the death toll in Venezuela isn’t credible because this country is already blighted by a failed health care system. This applies to a lack of water supply, shortages of medication, and enormous failings about facemasks, sanitizing gel, and soap.
The Guardian reports, “Since Venezuela’s economic collapse began to accelerate in 2013, at least 4.5 million of its citizens have fled overseas, although a small number have started returning home because of mass unemployment caused by lockdowns in countries such as Colombia.”
Deaths per million highlight the severity of the crisis in each nation. Again, in some nations including Ecuador, the real figures are much higher. However, based on current data it is Peru 546, Chile 472, America 451, Brazil 407, Mexico 331, Ecuador 312, Panama 289, Canada 235, Bolivia 212, Colombia 162, Honduras 107, Guatemala 95, and Argentina 64. These figures don’t include Nicaragua and Venezuela along with a few other nations where the current numbers of deaths are low.
The grim news of daily deaths and new infections for the majority of nations will continue. Hence, the suffering in Central America, North America, and South America is horrendously high.
Indeed, for individuals in poorer nations, they probably can’t understand the mass privilege happening in America regards to endless protests and divisions in society. Therefore, the entire Americas await more deaths, with the notable exceptions being Canada where the crisis seems contained (this can easily change).
Equally, fears persist for many indigenous communities based on isolation, immune systems, lack of health care facilities, and in more remote communities the fear that outsiders could spread the virus.
Thus the indigenous angle, enormous poverty throughout the Americas, social divisions, limited health facilities, and other negative factors will continue to hinder nations throughout this vast region. Hence, the spiral of death is guaranteed along with economic and political convulsions.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/26/venezuela-coronavirus-death-toll-human-rights-watch
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