–Researched and written by Katie Freund In Guanajuato, Mexico, long lines of cars stretch out of the gas stations that are still open.

After the construction company Odebrecht admitted in US courts to bribes in exchange for contracts, numerous Latin American companies have announced investigations in their own countries.

The Minister of Social Inclusion, Cayetana Aljovín, emphasized that the projects will be located in rural communities that are experiencing extreme poverty.

Shortly before Christmas, the government of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil suspended wages, leaving many workers feeling uncertain going into the holidays.

Venezuela saw over 30% of its companies go out of business in 2016, due to inventory shortages and increasingly high product prices.

Christmas spending often provides economic stimulus at the year’s end, but holiday purchases seem unlikely to provide much relief in Argentina.

As the Venezuelan currency crashes, some analysts anticipate that inflation will reach up to 1,500%.

Currently, 90% of all the security, maintenance and cleaning jobs in Brazil, close to 3 million, are outsourced.

Due to a profound lack of jobs in the formal economy, over four million Guatemalans daily turn to less secure, unregulated work opportunities to feed their families and make ends meet.

In the months leading up to the 2017 legislative elections, Argentina is facing economic uncertainty.