ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a turning point for humanity, affecting the most diverse fields, practices and professions. Nevertheless, in line with the report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the current crisis may become an opportunity to strengthen healthcare policies in the region with more systemic and comprehensive approaches. Within this framework, strategic communication in organizations is no exception. In the case of Latin America, due to its social, political and economic complexity, the characteristics of this dilemma are substantially different from the rest of the world. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin America was trying to adapt to global demands such as open markets, technology, geopolitical changes and the recognition of cultural diversity. Despite these attempts, inequality persists, marked by the slow growth of the middle class, added to a lack of social guarantees and equal distribution of wealth. This chapter provides the evidence, tensions and discussions resulting from the exploration of the practices carried out by strategic communication professionals in 20 countries in the region (1,683 cases) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results confirm that during processes of economic, health, political and trust crises, the profession of strategic communication has become a transversal and strategic link for organizations. It influences the construction of authentic, coherent, constructive and lasting alliances with key audiences in the organizations, as well as in configuring democracy and adopting coherent policies between discourse and action.
