The United States is considering closing the border to Mexico, as thousands of people try to enter the country to apply for asylum, fleeing poverty and violence. In Ecuador, a country once considered an “island of peace,” the president declared a state of emergency to fight crime.

And in Argentina, the new president is trying to pass big reforms to curb inflation, which is the highest in the world.

To discuss the situation in Latin America, our guests:

• Ignacio Portes is the Latin America editor for The Brazilian Report. 
• Richard McColl is a foreign correspondent and host of the podcast “LatinNews.” 
• Manuela Picq is professor of international relations at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.
• Benjamin Norton is founder and editor-in-chief of the “Geopolitical Economy Report.”

If passed, the bipartisan plan for immigration reform would give President Biden the power to effectively shut down asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border, make asylum interviews harder and increase deportations — dramatically impacting migrants who wish to enter the U.S. pic.twitter.com/kggWFOasIi

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 28, 2024

21.5 tonnes of cocaine destroyed as Ecuador battles organised crime https://t.co/ofyXuPHrov

— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 26, 2024

IMF backs Milei's reforms, says risks to Argentina's $44 bln loan program remain https://t.co/ntqvIfY11R pic.twitter.com/JtJBa48ntc

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 1, 2024