Answer:
Latin America doesn't have any true cold climate because it is located on and around the Equator.
The Atacama desert exists because of the influence of the cold ocean currents coming from the Southern Ocean.
Explanation:
Latin America is a region located on and in close proximity to the Equator. This results in direct or close to direct sunlight throughout the year, so the vast majority of the region experiences tropical types of climates. Even the Andes and the southern tip of South America don't really have a truly cold climate, but big variations throughout the year. In fact, the plateaus that are 3,000 or 4,000 meters in elevation are considered as some of the most pleaant places for living.
.On the western part of South America, in the Pacific coastal area of Chile, lies the driest desert in the world. It may come as a surprise because it is right next to the ocean so one would expect that it will have a lot of precipitation but the total opposite is true. The Atacama Desert is actually under the heavy influence of cold ocean currents. These ocean currents come from the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, and with the proximity being relatively small, they have a huge impact. Because they are very cold, they don't form conditions for precipitation to occur, but only zones of high pressure which are very dry.
