Mental health in prisons in Latin America: The effects of COVID-19

Abstract

Latin America is a vast region of the world. In 2022, it is estimated that nearly 620 million people live in 33 countries spanning almost 20 million km2 across North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.1 These countries are united by their common historic cultural origins.2 It is estimated that Spanish is spoken by 400 million, and Portuguese by 200 million people in the region.2 Quechua is the most widely spoken indigenous language in the region, with around 8 million speakers; smaller numbers speak around 560 other indigenous languages such as Mayan, Guarani, and Nahuatl.2,3 The region was described as having a total gross domestic product (GDP) of almost 4.7 trillion US dollars in 2020, with substantial contributions from the four largest economies—Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.4,5 However, Latin American countries are mainly considered developing nations.5