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Coronavirus Leads to Lockdowns, Travel Bans in Latin America, as a Colombian Prison Riot Turns Deadly

HeadlineMar 23, 2020

In Latin America, Chile has confirmed at least 630 cases of COVID-19. Brazil has closed its borders to eight neighboring countries for the next 15 days as cases there top 1,600.

Twenty-five deaths have been reported in Brazil.

In Ecuador, where all flights are currently banned, the mayor of Guayaquil ordered vehicles to block the runway of the city’s international airport to prevent an airplane from the Spanish carrier Iberia from landing. The plane later landed in Quito. Ecuador has reported nearly 800 cases and 14 deaths. The country’s health minister has resigned, citing lack of resources and government mismanagement.

In Colombia, at least 23 people were killed and dozens injured as a riot rocked a Bogotá prison, where prisoners have been protesting dire sanitary conditions and demanding protection from the coronavirus. Colombia is set to go on lockdown starting Tuesday for a period of three weeks.

Meanwhile, Bolivia announced it was postponing presidential elections in May, as it heads into a two-week nationwide quarantine period.

In Central America, Guatemala and El Salvador have both enacted strict curfews.

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