By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-05 05:31:49 | Updated at 2026-10-05 06:22:56
1 hour ago
LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide — Monday, October 5, 2026
The Short Version
In short: Your LatAm expat and nomad daily guide for Monday, 5 October 2026. Brazil heads to a runoff on 25 October between Flávio Bolsonaro and President Lula, after Bolsonaro finished first on Sunday. Peru is still counting its regional and municipal votes, and an exit poll points to governor runoffs in 14 regions on 29 November. Colombia’s visa-transfer deadline is 26 days away. Hurricane Rachel is moving away from Mexico. Brazil’s markets react to the vote today.
01
Brazil’s race is now two candidates. Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) took about 56 million votes and Lula (PT) about 54 million, according to Rádio Senado. Reuters, at 99.95% of polling sections counted, put them at 47.04% and 45.15% of valid votes. Pre-election polls had Lula ahead. The electoral court (TSE) set the runoff for Sunday 25 October. Our runoff explainer covers what it means for foreign residents.
02
Peru’s counts are partial. In Lima, the Renovación Popular list headed by Rafael López Aliaga led the mayor’s count over Francis Allison (Avanza País), but the electoral court must still decide whether he can take office, according to Infobae Perú. A governor needs 30% of valid votes to avoid a runoff. Our Peru standalone lists the 14 regions an exit poll puts below that line.
03
Colombia’s visa-transfer deadline is 26 days away. Foreigners holding a permanent-resident visa issued under earlier rules must transfer it by 31 October 2026, the Foreign Ministry reiterated on 15 September. Our earlier explainer sets out who is affected and how to apply.
What changed since yesterday Voting is over in Brazil and Peru, and the story has moved to counts and runoffs. The Mexican weather service says Rachel is a Category 2 hurricane again but is not forecast to hit Mexico. Local FX fixings changed little: Brazil’s PTAX stays at Friday’s 5.2238, Mexico’s FIX at 18.1903, Colombia’s TRM at 3,273.49. Chile’s observado was 984.82 pesos on Monday.
00The LatAm Expat Nomad Daily Guide Status Board
| Brazil presidency | Sun: first-round vote | Flávio first, Lula second; runoff Sun 25 Oct | Two-candidate race for three weeks |
| Peru regions | Sun: vote; dry law on | Counts partial; exit poll shows 14 regions heading to runoff | Dry law ended 8 a.m. today |
| Hurricane Rachel | Cat. 1 off Mexico’s coast | Cat. 2 again, 500 km south-west of Cabo San Lucas (SMN, Sun) | Moving away from Mexico |
| Brazil PTAX (sell) | Thursday: 5.2079 | Friday: 5.2238 (last fixing) | B3 reopens today after the vote |
| Mexico peso (FIX) | Thursday: 18.3688 | Friday: 18.1903 | Peso firmer on Friday |
| Chile observado / UF | Friday: 983.84 | Monday: 984.82; UF 41,098.15 | Peso slightly weaker |
| Colombia TRM | Friday: 3,307.73 | 3,273.49, valid Saturday to Monday | Peso firmer |
| Argentina blue dollar | Thursday: 1,535 / 1,555 | Friday close: 1,540 / 1,560 | Edged up on Friday |
| Colombia visa transfer | 31 October deadline | 26 days left | Permanent-resident visa labels |
01Getting Around
Brazil: a three-week campaign. Campaigning restarts on Monday, now with only two candidates. Expect rallies in big cities. Foreign residents do not vote, so daily life continues as normal.
Peru: back to normal. The alcohol dry law ended at 8 a.m. on Monday 5 October, according to the electoral calendar as reported by Peruvian media. Shops and restaurants can sell alcohol again. Official proclamations of winners will take weeks in close races.
Mexico’s Pacific coast. The national weather service (SMN) reported on Sunday 4 October that Rachel had regained Category 2 strength on the Saffir-Simpson scale. In its morning bulletin it was about 500 kilometres south-west of Cabo San Lucas, with sustained winds of 165 km/h, moving west-north-west at 9 km/h. The SMN does not expect a direct impact on Mexico. It forecasts heavy rain of 50 to 75 millimetres in Baja California Sur and high waves in Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima. Check its bulletin before swimming or boating.
02Cost of Living & Money
These are the latest official rates. Brazil’s and Mexico’s are Friday 2 October fixings; Brazilian markets react to the election result today, so Tuesday’s numbers may differ. Each measure is labelled.
Brazil. The central bank’s PTAX fixing (the official reference rate) was 5.2238 to sell on Friday, up from 5.2079 on Thursday. At 5.2238, R$1,000 is about US$191. The week’s fixings were 5.2132 (Monday), 5.2204 (Tuesday), 5.1809 (Wednesday), 5.2079 (Thursday) and 5.2238 (Friday), all to sell. Today’s market reaction was not yet available when we wrote.
Mexico. Banxico’s FIX (the rate used to settle dollar obligations) was determined at 18.1903 pesos per dollar on Friday, against 18.3688 on Thursday. At 18.1903, MXN 10,000 is about US$550.
Chile. The observado (the official daily dollar rate) is listed at 984.82 pesos for Monday, against 983.84 for Friday. At 984.82, CLP 1,000,000 is about US$1,015. The UF (Chile’s inflation-indexed unit used in rents and mortgages) is 41,098.15 pesos today.
Colombia. The TRM (the official representative rate) is 3,273.49 pesos per dollar, valid Saturday to Monday. COP 1,000,000 is about US$305.
Argentina. Per DolarApi: official Banco Nación 1,490 to buy and 1,540 to sell (Friday); wholesale 1,520 to sell (Friday); blue (the informal market rate) 1,540 and 1,560; the CCL (contado con liquidación, a rate for dollars bought through securities) 1,623.8 to sell. ARS 1,000,000 is about US$649 at the official sell rate and about US$641 at the blue sell rate. ArgentinaDatos shows country risk, the extra yield investors demand on Argentine dollar bonds, at 655 points on Friday 2 October.
The wider picture. Last week the Colombian and Mexican pesos firmed while Brazil’s real weakened slightly. One election result does not set a trend, and currencies often overshoot on the first day and settle later.
03The Calendar Ahead
Wed 7 OctPeru’s central bank board meets on its October monetary programme. The reference rate has been 4.25%.
Thu 8 OctChile’s September inflation from the statistics office INE (August: 4.1% a year).
Fri 9 OctBrazil’s September IPCA inflation from IBGE (August: 4.22% over 12 months).
Sun 25 OctBrazil’s presidential runoff.
Sat 31 OctColombia’s deadline to transfer older permanent-resident visas.
Dates come from official calendars and the EODHD economic calendar; forecasts are not ours. The region does not move as one block, and each release can push a currency either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is in Brazil’s presidential runoff, and when is it?
Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL) and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party (PT) finished first and second on Sunday 4 October 2026. Neither passed 50% of valid votes, so they meet in a runoff on Sunday 25 October, according to the electoral court (TSE). Only Brazilian citizens vote. For foreign residents, the vote itself changes no visa rule.
When will Peru’s governors and Lima’s mayor be known?
Not all of them yet. Peru’s electoral office ONPE was still counting tally sheets (actas) on Monday morning. A governor needs 30% of valid votes to win outright, otherwise the top two meet in a runoff on Sunday 29 November 2026. Lima’s mayor is decided in one round, with no runoff. The count is partial, so the order of candidates can still change.
What is the deadline to transfer an older Colombian permanent-resident visa?
Saturday 31 October 2026. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry reiterated on 15 September that foreigners holding a permanent-resident visa issued under rules before 21 October 2022 must transfer it by that date. The process is online and the ministry advises using its official site directly, without intermediaries. From Monday 5 October, 26 days remain.
Sources: Rádio Senado and Reuters (via Investing.com Brasil) on Brazil’s first-round count; Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (runoff date); Infobae Perú and Gestión citing ONPE and Datum (Peru counts and exit poll); Peruvian electoral calendar as reported by Peruvian media (dry law); Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (Mexico; Rachel bulletin of 4 October 2026) as reported by El Financiero; Cancillería de Colombia (visa-transfer notice of 15 September 2026); Banco Central do Brasil (PTAX, Olinda API); Banxico (FIX); Banco Central de Chile via mindicador.cl (observado and UF); Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia via datos.gov.co (TRM); DolarApi and ArgentinaDatos (Argentina rates and country risk); IBGE, INE Chile and BCRP calendars; EODHD economic calendar.
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