OBELA Analysis

The Chinese conglomerate Envergando, and two large Chinese real estate companies (Fantasia and Sinic Hildings) stopped paying interest on their debt. This situation was interpreted as the possible start of a chain of international default and the trigger for a new financial crisis, which was false.

The decision of the last FOMC meeting of the FED was not to raise the Federal Funds rate and to maintain it in the range of 0 to 0.25%, which in real terms is -5.05%, and a forthcoming reduction in the pace of financial asset purchases to raise the long-term interest rate.

The U.S. government's financial situation raises more alarms than the bankruptcy of any real estate conglomerate. In the second quarter of 2020, the public debt/GDP ratio reached a record high, hence the Executive seeks to increase the public debt limit in the U.S. Congress.

Evergrande is a conglomerate that managed to become the largest real estate developer in China, driven by the accelerated population growth of China's cities. It now has a debt equivalent to 2% of China's GDP, around 2 trillion yuan or USD 309 billion.

Like the entire real estate sector, Evergrande used to take loans with land as collateral. This type of cycle stops when property prices stagnate or when the government regulates prepayment, as happened in China.

Recently it has been warned that it could be a trigger for a possible international financial collapse and has been compared to Lehman Brothers (2008). However, the situation is different: the bulk of the debt is within the Chinese financial system, which is closed to international investment, and only 26% of the total debt is owed to international investors.

The pandemic has not only affected public health but also the social, political and economic life of society, deepening existing inequalities. The effects of the COVID-19 crisis have been felt most by vulnerable groups, especially women.

Worldwide, it is estimated that the pandemic has affected approximately 80% of professional women, who are affected in their professional lives as well as in their family and personal spheres. In Latin America, more than half of women work in the sectors most affected by the economic contraction, such as domestic work, tourism, manufacturing, administrative services and the health sector.

COVID-19 has a strong influence on the labor and personal development of women in the world, and makes the inequalities experienced by women even more evident.