As of 12:45 a.m. US Eastern Time (ET) · 2:45 a.m. Brasília, Thursday 5 November 2026 · US National Hurricane Center outlooks issued overnight, exchange rates to the latest published rate, prediction markets at 12:38 a.m. ET
The Short Version
In short: Mexico’s central bank announces its interest-rate decision today at 2:00 p.m. ET, so time any large peso transfer around it. Brazil’s central bank held its rate on Wednesday, and the six currencies in Money Today all firmed against the US dollar in the latest rates.
01
Mexico: the central bank decides on its interest rate today. The rate stands at 6.5%, and the decision is due at 2:00 p.m. ET. Today’s Clock
02
Brazil: the central bank held its rate at 13.75% on Wednesday. That ended a run of five cuts, and the vote was unanimous. Status Board
03
Central America: a low-pressure area could bring heavy rain through the weekend. The US National Hurricane Center now gives it a 60% chance of becoming a depression within 7 days. Weather Watch
What changed since yesterday: Brazil’s central bank held its rate, and every currency in Money Today firmed. The Central America low now has higher odds of developing, as Weather Watch shows.
00Do Today
Countries are sorted by urgency, and each checklist runs visa, weather, authorities, then money. Every item links to the block with the details.
Mexico Act Now
AuthoritiesThe central bank’s rate decision is due at 2:00 p.m. ET today, so time any large peso transfer around it. Today’s Clock
MoneyThe peso closed Wednesday at 18.62 per US$1, firmer than Tuesday’s 18.83, and that is a market close, not an official rate. Money Today
Colombia Today
VisaAsk the Foreign Ministry what applies if you have not transferred an older permanent-resident visa, because its deadline was 31 October 2026. Visas, Residency and Tax
AuthoritiesThe central bank publishes the minutes of its latest meeting at 5:00 p.m. ET. Today’s Clock
MoneyThe official rate for today is 3,221.19 pesos per US$1, firmer than Wednesday’s 3,235.59. Money Today
Panama and Costa Rica Today
WeatherThe US National Hurricane Center says heavy rain could reach parts of Central America through the weekend. Weather Watch
AuthoritiesThe Rio Times calendar lists Colon Day, observed in Colón province, for today, so check whether your bank or employer closes. The Calendar Ahead
Brazil Note
AuthoritiesThe central bank held its rate at 13.75% on Wednesday, and services activity data is due at 8:00 a.m. ET. Status Board
MoneyThe official rate was 5.4778 reais per US$1 on Wednesday, firmer than Tuesday’s 5.4935. Money Today
Argentina Note
MoneyThe wholesale rate was 1,546 pesos per US$1 on Wednesday, and the blue (informal) sell rate was 1,560. Money Today
Chile and Peru Note
MoneyChile’s dollar rate for Thursday is 970.95 pesos, and Peru’s sol closed Wednesday at 3.4442 per US$1. Money Today
AuthoritiesChile publishes October inflation on Friday 6 November at 6:00 a.m. ET. The Calendar Ahead
01Weather Watch
Rain Risk for Central America Outlook
A broad low-pressure area offshore of Central America is producing a large area of disorganized cloudiness and showers, and the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) gives it a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression within 48 hours and 60% within 7 days. Whether or not it develops, the center says it could bring areas of heavy rain to portions of Central America through this weekend.
Source: US National Hurricane Center, eastern Pacific outlook, issued overnight Thursday 5 November 2026; the center lists no active tropical cyclones
Atlantic Low Far From Our Countries Outlook
The NHC’s Atlantic outlook watches a non-tropical low-pressure area a few hundred miles south of Bermuda, far from our countries. It gives that system a 30% chance of forming within 48 hours and 50% within 7 days.
Atlantic outlook, issued 1:00 a.m. ET Thursday 5 November 2026
02Today’s Clock
Every time is shown in US Eastern Time first, then in local time. Thursday’s big event is Mexico’s interest-rate decision in the afternoon.
6:00 a.m. ET8:00 a.m. Montevideo
Uruguay: inflation for October; forecast 4.8% against 4.68% before.
Hours and forecasts: Rio Times economic calendar, 5 Nov 2026
7:00 a.m. ET9:00 a.m. Brasília
Brazil: industrial production for September, in two readings; forecasts of −0.2% and −1.7% against −0.6% and −1.2% before.
Same calendar as the 6:00 a.m. ET card
8:00 a.m. ET10:00 a.m. Brasília
Brazil: services activity survey, the services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) from S&P Global, for October; forecast 48.7 against 49.2 before.
Same calendar as the 6:00 a.m. ET card
8:30 a.m. ET8:30 a.m. New York
United States: weekly initial jobless claims; forecast 196 thousand against 194 thousand before.
Same calendar as the 6:00 a.m. ET card
2:00 p.m. ET1:00 p.m. Mexico City
Mexico: the central bank’s rate decision; the rate is 6.5%, and bettors on Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction platform, favour no change, as the prediction-markets block shows.
Same calendar as the 6:00 a.m. ET card
5:00 p.m. ET5:00 p.m. Bogotá
Colombia: minutes of the central bank’s latest policy meeting; no forecast applies.
Same calendar as the 6:00 a.m. ET card
03Money Today
Brazilian Real BRL
5.4778reais per US$1
PTAX sell rate (the central bank’s reference dollar rate, an average of four quotes taken between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Brasília time), Wed 4 Nov
−0.0157 (−0.29%) vs 5.4935 on Tue 3 Nov · real firmer
R$1,000 ≈ US$183
Source: Banco Central do Brasil (Brazil’s central bank), 4 Nov 2026
Mexican Peso MXN
18.6220pesos per US$1
Market close, Wed 4 Nov, not the official FIX rate (the Bank of Mexico’s daily reference rate)
−0.2115 (−1.12%) vs 18.8334 on Tue 3 Nov · peso firmer
MXN 10,000 ≈ US$537
Source: RT market data (a financial-data provider), 4 Nov 2026
Colombian Peso COP
3,221.19pesos per US$1
TRM (Colombia’s official reference rate) set for Thu 5 Nov, so it applies today
−14.40 (−0.45%) vs 3,235.59 that applied on Wed 4 Nov · peso firmer
COP 1,000,000 ≈ US$310
Source: Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, the financial regulator, via datos.gov.co (Colombia’s open-data portal), read 5 Nov 2026
Peruvian Sol PEN
3.4442soles per US$1
Market close, Wed 4 Nov; the central bank’s interbank rate could not be read
−0.0172 (−0.50%) vs 3.4613 on Tue 3 Nov · sol firmer
PEN 1,000 ≈ US$290
Market close, 4 Nov 2026, same provider as the peso card
Argentine Peso ARS
1,546pesos per US$1
Wholesale reference rate, Wed 4 Nov; other rates as of Wed 4 Nov: Banco Nación state bank official sell 1,570, blue (informal) sell 1,560, CCL (dollars obtained by trading securities) sell 1,680.4
−5 (−0.32%) vs 1,551 on Tue 3 Nov · peso firmer
ARS 1,000,000 ≈ US$647 at the wholesale rate, US$595 at the CCL sell rate
Source: Banco Central de la República Argentina (the central bank), wholesale reference rate via its open-data API; other rates from DolarApi (a public exchange-rate data service), read 5 Nov 2026
Chilean Peso CLP
970.95pesos per US$1
Dólar observado (the central bank’s official daily rate) listed for Thu 5 Nov, as relayed by mindicador.cl (a public data service)
−9.64 (−0.98%) vs 980.59 for Wed 4 Nov · peso firmer
CLP 1,000,000 ≈ US$1,030
Source: Banco Central de Chile, via mindicador.cl, read 5 Nov 2026
All six currencies firmed against the US dollar in the latest rates, so a dollar buys fewer units of local currency than a day earlier. The Mexican peso gained the most, about 1.1%, and Brazil’s real the least, about 0.3%.
04Status Board
Brazil Interest Rate
13.75%, the central bank’s Selic benchmark rate, after a cut in September13.75%, held on Wed 4 Nov by a unanimous vote of its rate-setting committee, CopomThe hold ended a run of five 0.25-point cuts, and the statement gave no signal on the next move; the next meeting is 8 and 9 December
Source: Banco Central do Brasil, Copom statement, 4 Nov 2026
Mexico Interest Rate
6.5%, the central bank’s policy rate6.5%, unchanged until the decision todayDecision due at 2:00 p.m. ET; bettors on Polymarket favour no change, but about 18% expect a cut, as the prediction-markets block shows
Rate and hour as in Today’s Clock
Brazil São Paulo City Inflation
0.51% for September, the IPC-Fipe index of São Paulo city prices from the Fipe economic research foundationOctober reading was due Wed 4 Nov at 3:00 a.m. ET (5:00 a.m. Brasília); the calendar forecast was 0.7%, and we could not confirm the published figureRead the figure on the Fipe website before relying on it
Hours and forecasts: Rio Times economic calendar, 4 Nov 2026
Colombia Interest Rate
12.25%, the central bank’s policy rate12.25% held on Fri 30 Oct, by four votes to three; the three others wanted a rise of 0.25 pointHeld after a split vote; the minutes are due today at 5:00 p.m. ET
Source: Banco de la República (Colombia’s central bank), 30 Oct 2026
Brazil Unemployment Rate
5.4% (April to June)5.2% (July to September), published Fri 30 OctLower than the previous quarter, and IBGE (Brazil’s statistics office) calls it the lowest for a July-to-September quarter in its series, which starts in 2012
Source: IBGE, 30 Oct 2026
Colombia Unemployment Rate
9.4% in August8.0% in September, published Fri 30 OctLower than August and than the 8.2% of September 2025
Source: DANE (Colombia’s national statistics agency), 30 Oct 2026
05Visas, Residency and Tax
Colombia Deadline Passed
Holders of a permanent-resident visa issued under the earlier rules had to transfer it before 31 October 2026, under the Foreign Ministry’s Resolution 9316 of 2024, the rule that set the deadline. The ministry says the process is done entirely online and is required to obtain the foreigner ID card (cédula de extranjería) from Migración Colombia, the immigration agency.
The 31 October deadline has passed, and we found no extension. If you have not finished, ask the ministry’s visa office what applies to your case.
Source: Cancillería de Colombia (Foreign Ministry), notice of 24 Mar 2026
File photo: central Bogotá, Colombia, seen from the Colpatria tower.
RT
Ask Rio Times
Straight answers about living in Latin America, from our reporting.
As of 12:38 a.m. ET (2:38 a.m. Brasília), 5 November 2026
Bank of Mexico Decision in NovemberPolymarket (a crypto-based prediction platform): no change about 82%, a 0.25-point cut about 18%. US$352,633 traded.
Brazil Rate Decision in DecemberPolymarket: no change about 75%, a 0.25-point cut about 15%, a 0.25-point rise about 5%. US$54,613 traded.
Colombia Rate Decision in DecemberPolymarket: no change about 64.5%, a 0.25-point rise about 26.4%. US$37,866 traded.
Argentina Monthly Inflation in OctoberPolymarket: 1.9% to 2.1% about 46.5%, 1.6% to 1.8% about 44%. US$32,645 traded.
How to Read ThisPrices are real-money bets, not polls, and each price is the implied probability of that outcome. Markets with little money traded can move on a few bets.
Why We Show ThisPrediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Source: Polymarket, 5 Nov 2026
07The Calendar Ahead
Fri 6 Nov
6:00 a.m. ET · 8:00 a.m. Santiago Chile: inflation for October; forecast 0.6% for the month vs 0.4% before, and 4.2% for the year vs 4.1%
Fri 6 Nov
1:00 p.m. ET · 3:00 p.m. Brasília Brazil: trade balance for October; forecast US$9 billion vs US$7.74 billion before
Mon 9 Nov
All day Dominican Republic: Constitution Day, a public holiday listed in the Rio Times calendar
Mon 9 Nov
7:00 a.m. ET · 6:00 a.m. Mexico City Mexico: inflation for October; forecast 3.65% for the year vs 3.45% before
Mon 9 Nov
6:00 p.m. ET · 6:00 p.m. Bogotá Colombia: inflation for October; forecast 6.4% for the year vs 6.29% before
Tue 10 Nov
All day Panama: commemoration of the Uprising in Villa de los Santos, listed in the Rio Times calendar; check whether offices close
Thu 12 Nov
2:00 p.m. ET · 4:00 p.m. Buenos Aires Argentina: inflation for October; forecast 33.2% for the year vs 33.4% before
Thu 12 Nov
6:00 p.m. ET · 6:00 p.m. Lima Peru: central bank rate decision; the rate was 4.25%
Forecasts and hours: same calendar as in Today’s Clock, 5 Nov 2026
08Frequently Asked Questions
What Did Brazil’s Central Bank Decide on Wednesday?
The central bank held its benchmark Selic rate at 13.75% on Wednesday 4 November 2026, according to the central bank’s statement. That statement called the moment challenging and said it demands serenity and caution.
When Does Mexico’s Central Bank Announce Its Rate Decision?
The decision is due today, Thursday 5 November, at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. Mexico City), as listed by the Rio Times economic calendar, and the rate now stands at 6.5%. Bettors on Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction platform, put no change at about 82%.
Is a Storm Threatening Central America This Week?
The US National Hurricane Center gives a low-pressure area offshore of Central America a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression within 48 hours and 60% within 7 days. Whether or not it develops, the center says it could bring areas of heavy rain to parts of Central America through this weekend.
Sources: Rio Times economic calendar; US National Hurricane Center; Banco Central do Brasil; RT market data; Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia; Banco Central de la República Argentina; DolarApi; Banco Central de Chile; IBGE; DANE; Banco de la República; Cancillería de Colombia; Polymarket.
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