Latin America: the year that was and the year to come

This is the last LatAm Viva of the year — and what a year it has been. From all-change in the Brazilian and Mexican presidential elections, to the IMF’s biggest-ever bailout package in Argentina or Latin America’s worst refugee crisis in Venezuela.

The word “tumultuous” hardly does the year justice. What might 2019 hold? Standing at its eve, I’m anticipating:

● More smoke than fire in Brazil as President Jair Bolsonaro struggles to manage Congress and his programme falls short of many investors’ high expectations

● Full speed ahead in Mexico as President Andrés Manuel López Obrador gets into his stride, for better or for worse