By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-20 05:26:27 | Updated at 2026-10-20 06:36:10
1 hour ago
LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide — Tuesday, October 20, 2026
As of 12:30 a.m. US Eastern Time (ET) · 1:30 a.m. Brasília, Tuesday 20 October 2026 · storm bulletin to Monday night, rates to the latest published fixing, prediction markets at 12:31 a.m. ET
The Short Version
In short: Hurricane Trudy has faded to a post-tropical remnant far offshore, so Mexico’s Pacific coast needs no storm action today beyond checking local notices. Colombia’s permanent-visa transfer deadline is 11 days away, and Brazil’s presidential runoff is 5 days away.
01
Mexico: Trudy has ended as a storm. The US hurricane centre issued its final advisory on Monday night and reported no hazards affecting land. Weather Watch
02
Brazil: prediction markets still favour Flávio Bolsonaro. Polymarket prices his runoff win at 77.0%, against 22.5% for Lula. What Prediction Markets Say
03
Colombia: 11 days to transfer an older permanent visa. The Foreign Ministry says the deadline is 31 October 2026. Visas, Residency and Tax
What changed since yesterday: Trudy fell from a Category 1 hurricane to a post-tropical remnant, and the Brazil runoff odds moved slightly toward Lula. Argentina’s country-risk gauge rose to 675 points, as the Status Board shows.
On This Page
- 00Do Today
- 01Weather Watch
- 02Today’s Clock
- 03Money Today
- 04Status Board
- 05Visas, Residency and Tax
- 06What Prediction Markets Say
- 07The Calendar Ahead
- 08Frequently Asked Questions
- 09Go Deeper
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.
Colombia 11 Days Left
- VisaTransfer an older permanent-resident visa before 31 October 2026, online. Visas, Residency and Tax
- MoneyThe official rate for today is lower than the weekend rate. Money Today
Brazil 5 Days Left
- AuthoritiesRunoff is Sunday 25 October; most foreign residents cannot vote. Visas, Residency and Tax
- MoneyThe real was firmer against the dollar on Monday. Money Today
Mexico Today
- WeatherOn the Jalisco and Colima coast, check local civil-protection notices if you travel; Trudy no longer threatens land. Weather Watch
- MoneyThe peso closed firmer on Monday. Money Today
Argentina Note
- MoneyOfficial, blue (informal) and securities-based dollar rates are in the Money block. Money Today
- AuthoritiesThe country-risk gauge rose to 675 points on Monday. Status Board
01Weather Watch
Trudy Ends Far Offshore Post-Tropical Cyclone
AreaPacific waters about 260 km (160 miles) west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico
StatusPost-tropical cyclone with sustained winds near 55 km/h (35 mph) and a central pressure of 1005 millibars
OutlookThe remnant is expected to drift slowly west-northwest until it dissipates, and no hazards were affecting land
Next updateNone: advisory 27 was the final public advisory
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued advisory 27 at 11:00 p.m. ET Monday (9:00 p.m. Mexico City). The eastern Pacific hurricane season officially runs until 30 November, so keep checking local notices if you live on the coast.
Source: US National Hurricane Center, final advisory 27, 8:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time Monday 19 October 2026
No Other Storm Notice Found Note
We found no other tropical-cyclone advisory for Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean in our checks on Tuesday morning. We could not read the NHC outlook page directly, so look at it before you travel.
Our own search of news and agency reports, 12:30 a.m. ET Tuesday 20 October 2026
02Today’s Clock
Every time is shown in US Eastern Time first, then in local time. The clock follows the data releases of the day.
1:30 p.m. ET2:30 p.m. Buenos Aires
Argentina: the leading economic indicator for September is due; forecast −0.3 vs −0.27 before.
Rio Times economic calendar, 20 Oct 2026
Hour not confirmedBrazil
Closing PTAX, the central bank’s reference dollar rate, is usually published in the early afternoon Brasília time.
Hour not confirmedColombia
The official rate for Wednesday 21 October is due to be certified.
03Money Today
Brazilian Real BRL
5.0564 reais per US$1
PTAX sell rate (the central bank’s reference dollar rate), Mon 19 Oct
−0.0262 (−0.52%) vs 5.0826 on Fri 16 Oct · real firmer
R$1,000 ≈ US$198
Source: Banco Central do Brasil, 19 Oct 2026
Mexican Peso MXN
18.4255 pesos per US$1
Market close, Mon 19 Oct, not the central bank’s official FIX rate
−0.0675 (−0.37%) vs 18.493 on Fri 16 Oct · peso firmer
MXN 10,000 ≈ US$543
Source: EODHD market data, 19 Oct 2026
Colombian Peso COP
3,156.32 pesos per US$1
TRM (Colombia’s official reference rate) for Tue 20 Oct
−18.35 (−0.58%) vs 3,174.67 for Sat 17 to Mon 19 Oct · peso firmer
COP 1,000,000 ≈ US$317
Source: Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia via datos.gov.co, read 20 Oct 2026
Peruvian Sol PEN
3.4452 soles per US$1
Market close, Mon 19 Oct; the central bank’s interbank rate could not be read
+0.0055 (+0.16%) vs 3.4397 on Fri 16 Oct · sol weaker
PEN 1,000 ≈ US$290
Market close, 19 Oct 2026, same provider as the peso card
Argentine Peso ARS
1,540 pesos per US$1
Official sell rate (Banco Nación), updated Mon 19 Oct; blue (informal) 1,560 sell and CCL (dollars obtained by trading securities) 1,625.6 sell, both updated Mon 19 Oct
+5 (+0.33%) vs 1,535 on Fri 16 Oct · wholesale reference rate 1,524.5 on Mon 19 Oct vs 1,518 on Fri 16 Oct · peso weaker
ARS 1,000,000 ≈ US$649 at the official sell rate, US$615 at the CCL sell rate
Source: DolarApi, read 20 Oct 2026; wholesale rate from the Banco Central de la República Argentina
Chilean Peso CLP
981.86 pesos per US$1
Dólar observado (the central bank’s official daily rate) in force Tue 20 Oct
+0.21 (+0.02%) vs 981.65 on Mon 19 Oct · peso little changed
CLP 1,000,000 ≈ US$1,018
Source: Banco Central de Chile via mindicador.cl, read 20 Oct 2026
The Brazilian real, the Mexican peso and the Colombian peso were firmer, while the Peruvian sol and the Argentine peso were slightly weaker. The Mexican and Peruvian figures are market closes, not official fixings.
04Status Board
Hurricane Trudy
Category 1 hurricane at 11:00 p.m. ET SundayPost-tropical cyclone at 11:00 p.m. ET MondayDissipating
Brazil Runoff Countdown
6 days left (Mon 19 Oct)5 days left (Tue 20 Oct)Closer
Argentina Country Risk
648 points (Fri 16 Oct)675 points (Mon 19 Oct)Higher
Source: ArgentinaDatos, 19 Oct 2026
Colombia Visa Deadline
12 days left (Mon 19 Oct)11 days left (Tue 20 Oct)Closer
05Visas, Residency and Tax
Colombia 31 October Deadline
Holders of a permanent-resident visa issued under the earlier rules must transfer it before 31 October 2026. The Foreign Ministry’s notice, dated 24 March 2026, describes an online process.
Source: Cancillería de Colombia (Foreign Ministry), notice of 24 Mar 2026
Brazil Runoff 25 October
Brazil’s presidential runoff is on Sunday 25 October 2026, and most foreign residents cannot vote. Voting hours follow Brasília time, so check the electoral court for your state.
Source: Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE), electoral calendar
06What Prediction Markets Say
As of 12:31 a.m. ET (1:31 a.m. Brasília), 20 October 2026
Brazil Presidential ElectionPolymarket: Flávio Bolsonaro 77.0%, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 22.5%; the market settles on the winner of the election. US$188.7 million traded.
Bank of Mexico Decision in NovemberPolymarket: no change about 77%, a 0.25-point cut about 19%, a 0.25-point rise about 2%; US$69,266 traded. Kalshi, a US exchange regulated by the CFTC (the US derivatives regulator): no change 72%, a 0.25-point cut 21%; 37,696 contracts traded.
Argentina Monthly Inflation for OctoberPolymarket: 1.6% to 1.8% 48.5%, 1.9% to 2.1% 31.0%. US$14,853 traded.
How to Read ThisPrices are real-money bets, not polls, and each price is the implied probability of that outcome.
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 and Kalshi, 20 Oct 2026
07The Calendar Ahead
Wed 21 Oct
8:00 a.m. ET · 6:00 a.m. Mexico City Mexico: retail sales for August; forecast 0.4% vs −0.1% before
Wed 21 Oct
11:00 a.m. ET · 10:00 a.m. Bogotá Colombia: August trade balance
Wed 21 Oct
3:00 p.m. ET · 4:00 p.m. Buenos Aires Argentina: economic activity for August; forecast −0.9% vs −1.4% before
Thu 22 Oct
8:00 a.m. ET · 6:00 a.m. Mexico City Mexico: inflation for the first half of October; forecast 0.39% for the period vs 0.33% before, and 3.6% over 12 months vs 3.42%
Fri 23 Oct
8:00 a.m. ET · 9:00 a.m. Brasília Brazil: IPCA-15, the mid-month inflation reading; forecast 0.42% vs 0.7% before, and 4.73% over 12 months vs 4.47%
Fri 23 Oct
1:45 p.m. ET · 2:45 p.m. Montevideo Uruguay: September unemployment; forecast 7.4% vs 7.2% before
Fri 23 Oct
3:00 p.m. ET · 4:00 p.m. Asunción Paraguay: central bank rate decision; forecast 5.5%, unchanged
Sun 25 Oct
7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET · 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Brasília Brazil: presidential runoff voting hours
Tue 27 Oct
5:00 p.m. ET · 6:00 p.m. Santiago Chile: central bank rate decision; the previous rate was 4.5%
Thu 29 Oct
8:00 a.m. ET · 9:00 a.m. Santiago Chile: September unemployment; forecast 9.6%, unchanged
Fri 30 Oct
8:00 a.m. ET · 9:00 a.m. Brasília Brazil: September unemployment; forecast 5.5% vs 5.3% before
Fri 30 Oct
11:00 a.m. ET · 10:00 a.m. Bogotá Colombia: September unemployment; forecast 9.2% vs 9.4% before
Sat 31 Oct
Hour not confirmed Colombia: deadline to transfer an older permanent-resident visa is before 31 October
Forecasts: Rio Times economic calendar, 20 Oct 2026; Brazil voting hours: TSE
08Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hurricane Trudy Still a Threat to Mexico’s Pacific Coast?
No. The US National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory, number 27, at 11:00 p.m. ET on Monday and described Trudy as a post-tropical cyclone with winds near 55 km/h (35 mph), about 260 km (160 miles) west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes. It said no hazards were affecting land, but the eastern Pacific hurricane season runs until 30 November, so keep checking local notices.
When Is Brazil’s Presidential Runoff?
The runoff is on Sunday 25 October 2026, three weeks after the first round on Sunday 4 October. Voting is for Brazilian citizens, and most foreign residents cannot vote.
How Long Do I Have to Transfer a Colombian Permanent Visa?
Holders of a permanent-resident visa issued under the earlier rules must transfer it before 31 October 2026, which is 11 days after Tuesday 20 October. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry says the process is done online.
09Go Deeper
Sources: US National Hurricane Center; Banco Central do Brasil; EODHD; Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia; DolarApi; Banco Central de la República Argentina; Banco Central de Chile; ArgentinaDatos; Polymarket; Kalshi; Cancillería de Colombia; Tribunal Superior Eleitoral; Rio Times economic calendar.
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