LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide for Monday, September 21, 2026
LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide — Monday, September 21, 2026
00The LatAm Expat Nomad Daily Guide Status Board
| Story | Friday | Now | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina FX | Blue 1,530 / 1,550; wholesale 1,505.5 / 1,514.5 | Blue unchanged at 1,530 / 1,550 after the Sunday informal update | IMF mission today; US$803M IMF payment Friday 25; EMAE July Thursday 24 |
| Argentina macro | Risk 524 (18 Sep); delinquency 12.9% in July, highest since 2004 | Third review of the US$20 billion IMF program opens today | First-half poverty data Thursday 24 September |
| Brazil FX | PTAX 5.1569 / 5.1575; Ibovespa 185,229 (-0.41%) | No new fixing yet; today’s PTAX publishes this afternoon, Brasília time | First-round election Sunday 4 October — 13 days; IPCA-15 inflation Friday |
| Mexico | FIX 17.2450 (determined Friday); spot closed about 17.23; IPC -0.78% | New FIX around noon, Mexico City time | Banxico + mid-month inflation Thursday 24; US talks resume 28 September |
| Chile | Closed for feriado; UF 40,959.07 | Reopened: observado 958.42 today; UF 40,983.58 | Normal operations resume across banks, notaries and offices |
| Colombia FX | TRM 3,151.73; spot slid to 3,166.69 | TRM 3,192.92 in force until this afternoon | New TRM certified this afternoon, valid from Tuesday |
01Getting Around
Uruguay: The SUPRA port strike runs from 07:00 this morning to 07:00 Tuesday, Montevideo time. Dock work and port services at Montevideo’s container terminal are affected, with government-imposed minimum services keeping some cargo moving. It is a port-sector strike: shops, banks, public transport and Carrasco airport operate normally — no air or road action has been announced. Import and export cargo can face delays of a day or more. Our Uruguay strike standalone has the full picture.
Chile: Back to normal. Banks, notaries, supermarkets and malls reopened this morning after the feriados, and the first dollar fixing since Thursday came in at 958.42.
Bolivia: Diesel has cost Bs17.95 a liter since Saturday under Supreme Decree 5716 — about US$1.63 at the parallel market rate of around Bs11 per US dollar. Transport unions had not formally announced fare changes as of Monday morning — watch for announcements this week. The context is in our Bolivia diesel standalone.
Ecuador: The midnight-to-05:00 curfew in Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro enters its fifth night and runs to 30 September under Decree 498; Quito remains inside the decree area but outside the curfew. The geography is in our Ecuador emergency standalone.
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico & Peru: Normal Monday operations; no transport disruptions reported. In Peru, heightened police attention around the 4 October local elections is the stated posture after Saturday’s killing of a candidate in Caraz — our Peru elections standalone lays out what is known.
02Cost of Living & Money
Monday morning rates are a mix: Chile and the informal Argentine market have fresh values, while Brazil, Mexico and Colombia publish new references this afternoon. Until then, Friday’s closes remain the working rates.
| Currency | Reference in force this morning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (BRL) | PTAX 5.1569 / 5.1575 (18 Sep) | Today’s PTAX publishes this afternoon, Brasília time. Selic 13.75% in force. |
| Mexico (MXN) | FIX 17.2450 (determined 18 Sep); spot closed about 17.23 | New FIX around noon, Mexico City time; Banxico decides Thursday 24 September. |
| Chile (CLP) | Observado 958.42 (today); UF 40,983.58 | First fixing since Thursday’s 954.85 — the peso reopened weaker. UF worth about US$42.76. |
| Argentina (ARS) | Oficial 1,485 / 1,535; blue 1,530 / 1,550; MEP 1,530.2 / 1,540.1; CCL 1,596.5 / 1,598.1; tarjeta 1,930.5 / 1,995.5 | Blue unchanged through the Sunday informal update; country risk 524 (18 Sep). |
| Colombia (COP) | TRM 3,192.92 (valid through today) | New TRM certified this afternoon, in force from Tuesday. |
| Costa Rica (CRC) | Spot about 448.83 (estimate) | Estimate; no fresh BCCR reference this morning. |
| Peru (PEN) | SUNAT 3.360 / 3.368 (18 Sep) | Official reference rate; the BCRP puts the market near S/3.36 per dollar. |
| Uruguay (UYU) | Retail about 40.33 (est.) | Retail board estimate; check fresh quotes at today’s open. |
Brazil. At Friday’s PTAX sell rate of 5.1575, US$1,000 converts to R$5,157.50 and a R$5,000 rent costs about US$969; a fresh PTAX publishes this afternoon. The Selic at 13.75 percent keeps deposit carry attractive. Politics now runs alongside the rates: 13 days to the first round, a frozen Senate campaign in Paraná, and Petrobras joining a R$1-per-liter federal diesel subsidy (about US$0.19) for 30 days. The election frame is in our Brazil election standalone and the rate picture in our Brazil real standalone.
Mexico. At the FIX of 17.2450, MXN 10,000 of spending costs about US$580; a new FIX publishes around noon, Mexico City time. Thursday 24 September is the double event: mid-month inflation and July activity data at noon, then the Banxico decision at 1 p.m., with the rate at 6.50 percent since May and forecasters split between a pause and a cut to 6.25 percent — a forecast, not a fact. Formal US–Mexico trade talks resume 28 September in Washington.
Chile. The peso reopened weaker at 958.42 after the feriados: a CLP 800,000 rent now runs roughly US$835 a month. The UF stands at 40,983.58 today (about US$42.76); a 20 UF lease bills CLP 819,672, about US$855. Off the markets, Michelle Bachelet withdrew from the UN Secretary-General race on Saturday after a weak straw poll, and lithium exports have reached US$4.33 billion so far in 2026, roughly triple last year’s pace.
Argentina. The blue dollar is unchanged at 1,530 / 1,550: selling US$1,000 in cash brings about ARS 1,530,000, and a US$1,000 card spend bills at roughly ARS 1,995,500. At the blue venta, a million-peso monthly budget is about US$645. The IMF mission arriving today opens the third review with country risk at 524 and central-bank data showing household loan delinquency at a record 12.9 percent in July. Reviews run for days — no outcome is known yet, and the first cash test is Friday’s US$803 million payment to the IMF. More in our Argentina GDP standalone and the updated country-risk standalone.
Colombia. The TRM of 3,192.92, in force until this afternoon, converts US$1,000 to COP 3,192,920 and puts a COP 3,000,000 rent at about US$940; a new TRM is certified today and applies from Tuesday. Security news crossed the wires in both directions this weekend: the army rescued four hostages held by FARC dissidents in Antioquia, and the JEP enforced sanctions on seven former FARC leaders. Context in our Colombia peso standalone.
Costa Rica. At an estimated spot of 448.83, a ₡700,000 rent costs about US$1,560 — the colón remains historically strong, as our Costa Rica standalone lays out. Rebeca Grynspan now leads the UN Secretary-General straw polls with nine encouraging votes after Bachelet’s exit.
03Visas, Residency & Tax
| Where | What changed | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | Standing deadline: the permanent-visa transfer under Resolución 9316 of 2024 must be done by 31 October 2026 — 40 days from today. | If your permanent visa was issued before October 2022, book the transfer appointment now. |
| Peru | No detention decree has been published as of Monday morning. Separately, the OAS was cleared to observe the 4 October local elections, and President Fujimori left for the UN today with her premier in charge. | If your visa or residence permit is valid, nothing changes — carry proof of status. Our Peru standalone has the checklist. |
| Chile | Banks, notaries and public offices reopened this morning after the feriados. | Paperwork and notarizations resume today — expect queues after the long weekend. |
| Ecuador | Decree 498’s curfew begins its fifth night in four coastal provinces; the decree suspends home and correspondence inviolability in eight provinces and three cantons for 60 days. | Warrantless searches are lawful inside covered areas; carry ID and plan around the curfew. Details in our Ecuador standalone. |
04The Week’s News in Brief
| Where | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bolivia | The government expelled an alleged member of Brazil’s PCC crime group to Brazilian police at Puerto Suárez; the diesel decree’s band regulation is due within five working days of Saturday. | Border security cooperation with Brazil is deepening as the fuel reform’s rules get written; our standalone maps the decree. |
| Brazil | The electoral court froze Dallagnol’s Senate campaign pending a full-court ruling with no date set; Petrobras joined a R$1-per-liter federal diesel subsidy for 30 days; outsider Renan Santos said XP’s chief should be jailed — no court or regulator has found XP or BTG liable over Banco Master. | Thirteen days out, the courts and the fuel price are now campaign issues. Our standalone has the balance. |
| Mexico | Sheinbaum met Chihuahua’s governor in Ciudad Juárez on Saturday and agreed a joint federal-state channel after the dispute over US agents; tariff talks with Washington resume 28 September. | A modest but real de-escalation on the border question ahead of the trade round. |
| Argentina | Household loan delinquency hit 12.9 percent in July, the highest since 2004, the day before the IMF mission arrives; a lawyer filed a criminal complaint against Economy Minister Caputo over the Central Puerto deal — a request to investigate, with no wrongdoing found. | The review opens with households under visible strain and the government on the legal defensive. |
| Peru | Candidate and journalist Susy Aponte Polo was shot dead at the Caraz market on Saturday; police captured a suspect with a firearm, and prosecutors opened a femicide investigation. The 4 October elections proceed, with OAS observers cleared. | Violence against candidates is the election’s central risk; the vote itself goes ahead. Our Peru elections standalone has the facts. |
05The Calendar Ahead
| When | What | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 21 September | IMF mission arrives; Uruguay port strike until Tuesday 07:00; Chile reopens; new Colombian TRM this afternoon; Paraguay rate decision | Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay | The week’s stacked opening day. |
| Tuesday 22 September | Lula, Trump and Peru’s Fujimori address the UN General Assembly | United States | Brazil’s election-friction with Washington goes to the UN stage 13 days before the vote. |
| Wednesday 23 September | S&P Global September flash PMIs for France, Germany, the euro area and the United States | Global | The first full-month read on momentum after the Fed’s hike. |
| Thursday 24 September | Banxico decision at 1 p.m.; Mexico mid-month inflation and July activity at noon; INDEC publishes July EMAE and first-half poverty; Uruguay port-union assembly | Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay | Banxico has held at 6.50 percent since May; the EMAE and poverty prints frame the IMF review’s backdrop. |
| Friday 25 September | Argentina faces a US$803 million payment to the IMF; Brazil’s IPCA-15 mid-month inflation | Argentina, Brazil | The first cash test of the IMF-mission week; consensus sees IPCA-15 at 4.5 percent year on year — a forecast, not a fact. |
| Monday 28 September | US–Mexico formal trade talks resume | Washington | Tariff reductions are on the table after the Sheinbaum–Trump call. |
| Friday 2 October | IMF board expected to vote on Bolivia’s US$1.9 billion credit | United States, Bolivia | An expectation stated by Bolivian officials, not a confirmed schedule. |
| Sunday 4 October | Brazil first-round election; Peru local elections with OAS observers | Brazil & Peru | Thirteen days away; the Brazilian result drives the real’s October direction. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is anything closed in Uruguay today?
The ports. The SUPRA union is on strike from 07:00 this morning to 07:00 Tuesday, Montevideo time. It is a port-sector strike, not a general strike: shops, banks, public transport and Carrasco airport run normally, and the government imposed minimum services at Montevideo’s container terminal, so some cargo keeps moving. Importers and exporters should expect delays of a day or more. Our Uruguay strike standalone has the detail.
What does the IMF mission mean for my money in Argentina?
Nothing immediate. The blue dollar starts the week unchanged at 1,530 / 1,550, so US$1,000 in cash brings about ARS 1,530,000 and a million-peso monthly budget is about US$645 at the blue venta. The mission opens the third review of the US$20 billion program; reviews run for days and no outcome is known yet. The dated tests are Friday’s US$803 million payment to the IMF and Thursday’s EMAE and poverty data. Context is in our country-risk standalone.
Does my Colombia rate change today?
This afternoon. The TRM of 3,192.92 stays valid through Monday 21 September, so until the new certification US$1,000 converts to COP 3,192,920 and a COP 3,000,000 rent costs about US$940. The new TRM is certified this afternoon and takes effect from Tuesday. Context is in our Colombia peso standalone.
Connected Coverage
- Uruguay Port Strike Today: What the 24-Hour Stoppage Means for Expats
- Peru’s 4 October Local Elections After the Caraz Killing: What Expats Need to Know
- Bolivia Ends 20 Years of Cheap Diesel: What the 83% Price Rise Means for Expats
- Brazil’s Election, Two Weeks Out: What Expats Need to Know Before the 4 October Vote
- Argentina’s Economy Shrank in the Second Quarter: What the GDP Print Means for Expats
- Costa Rica Severs Relations With Cuba: What Expats and Travelers Need to Know
- Brazil’s New Pix Rules: What the Fraud-Flag Changes Mean for Expats
- Peru to Hold Irregular Migrants in Military Facilities: What Foreign Residents Need to Know
- Ecuador’s New State of Emergency: Where Decree 498 Applies and What Expats Need to Know
- Argentina Country Risk: What Expats Need to Know
- Brazil’s Real at Two-Week Lows: What It Means for Your Money
- Colombia’s Peso Slides Past 3,100: What Expats Need to Know
Sources: DolarAPI (Argentina rates, 18–20 September 2026); Argentina Datos (country risk 524, 18 September 2026); Banxico (FIX 17.2450 determined 18 September 2026; spot about 17.23); Banco Central do Brasil (PTAX via Olinda, 18 September 2026); Banco Central de Chile via mindicador.cl (UF 40,983.58 and dólar observado 958.42, 21 September 2026); Superfinanciera via datos.gov.co (Colombia TRM 3,192.92, valid 19–21 September 2026); SUNAT (Peru reference 3.360 / 3.368, 18 September 2026); open.er-api.com (CRC and UYU estimates, 21 September 2026); Banco Central de la República Argentina via The Rio Times desk (loan delinquency, July 2026); SUPRA via The Rio Times desk (port strike notice, 18 September 2026); Tribunal Superior Eleitoral via The Rio Times desk (Dallagnol injunction, 19 September 2026); Petrobras (diesel subsidy decision, 18 September 2026); Fiscalía Especializada via The Rio Times desk (Caraz femicide investigation, 19–20 September 2026); The Rio Times desk reporting (19–21 September 2026).
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