Gold, Inflation And Lessons From Latin America

As shoppers in the U.S. celebrate the official start of the holiday shopping season with Black Friday and seek out the bargain basement prices, our own central bank is seeking to lift prices and deter deflation.

Techint Buys $2.7 Billion Stake in Usiminas to Tap Brazilian Steel Market

The Techint Group agreed to pay 5.03 billion reais ($2.7 billion) for a 27.7 percent voting stake in Brazil’s Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA (USIM3) to boost access to the largest market for steel in Latin America.

For United Continental, Latin America represents a growing market

For United Continental, the Latin American market — an area that stretches from Brazil’s growing economy in South America to Mexico’s precarious Saltillo region — is sizzling with new business.

Venezuela receives first gold shipment from Europe

CARACAS, Venezuela — A shipment of gold has been deposited in Venezuela's central bank in Caracas after President Hugo Chavez ordered the repatriation of most of the country's bullion reserves from overseas banks.

IMF Lagarde: Latin America Not Immune To Crisis, Should Prepare

MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Latin America isn't immune to the European debt crisis and should prepare to confront possible turbulence, keeping prudent fiscal policies, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in an article published Friday, just days ahead of starting a tour to the region.

Venezuela businesses brace for more price controls

CARACAS, Venezuela — New rules aimed at curbing Venezuela's high inflation by broadening government price controls will scare off investors and hurt consumers, the president of ountry's largest business chamber predicted Monday.

Brazil to Miss Inflation Target Until 2015, Weekly Economist Survey Shows

Economists covering Brazil raised their forecast for 2014 inflation above the 4.5 percent target for the first time, on doubts about the central bank’s commitment to controlling consumer prices.

Mexico, Cuba, Brazil: Why Latin America matters for U.S. national security

Washington (CNN) -- It used to be said that if the American economy sneezed, Latin America and the Caribbean would catch a cold.

Latin America offers refuge from financial crisis

With their lower unemployment, increasing consumption and higher growth rates, Latin American nations are attracting investors looking for a refuge from the global financial turmoil, analysts say.At the same time, they cautioned at a three-day conference that wrapped up Friday in Madrid, the region is not an "immune oasis" from the troubles affecting the world economy.

French co. to build solar farm in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A French company says it will invest $115 million to build a 44-megawatt solar farm in Puerto Rico.

Venezuela Forces Sale of Rental Properties

CARACAS—Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez signed a new rental law into effect over the weekend that obliges landlords to sell their property to tenants of more than 20 years at state-mandated discounts based on how long the space has been rented.

Q/A: New VC Fund Banks on Mexico’s IT Startups November 14th, 2011

Mexico’s IT startup community may soon be getting another injection of much needed venture capital from a California-based seed fund called MexicanVC.

Latin America better prepared to weather a slowdown in global economy

Despite global volatility and the possibility of an economic slowdown in China, many still say they’re bullish on the region and its opportunities.

Telefonica Has Loss on Spain Slide, Latin America Slowdown

Telefonica SA, Europe’s largest phone company by market value, reported its first quarterly loss in nine years on costs to eliminate jobs and lower revenue from Spain as customers switched to cheaper rivals’ offers.

Brazil could establish renewable energy company

Brazil may establish its own state-owned renewable energy company focusing on solar power and ethanol.

Brazil IT Remains in a Class By Itself: Is That a Good Thing?

Brazil’s ascendancy as a major center for global IT services will be engineered in a uniquely Brazilian way, and should in no way aim to reproduce the model crafted by India over the last twenty years, concluded a ‘super panel’ of global outsourcing experts at last week’s Brasscom Global IT Forum in Sao Paulo.

JPMorgan Says Sell Defaulted Vitro Debt on Overvalued Offer: Mexico Credit

Vitro SAB’s defaulted bonds are rallying to a two-month high, a sign to JPMorgan Chase & Co. and BCP Securities LLC to sell the securities because the price overvalues the Mexican glassmaker’s latest debt-restructuring offer by almost 50 percent.

Slaying plunges Colombia rebels into uncertainty

President Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday called on fighters of Latin America's only major rebel force to accept the killing of their top leader as proof the movement is doomed and to surrender.

Former Argentinian minister says Irish do not realise scale of problems

IRISH PEOPLE still have not grasped the gravity of the economic crisis that has gripped the euro zone and do not appreciate how bad things could get, according to a former economics minister in the Argentinian government.

Why Nicaragua is ready to re-elect Daniel Ortega

For some 30 years, Daniel Ortega and his erstwhile Sandinista revolutionaries have been loathed by Nicaragua's traditional economic elite.

El Salvador counts cost as crops destroyed by floods

The United Nations has launched an emergency appeal to help an estimated 300,000 people in El Salvador after heavy rains caused widespread flooding across Central America. The immediate concerns are to provide shelter, food and health care, but tackling the long-term effects will be difficult and costly.

Currency Risk in South America – Brazil and Argentina

Inflation is beginning to rear its head globally.

Brazil: A Stalled Economy in the Land of Samba & Soccer

Brazil’s economy is expected to slow to about 3% for the remainder of 2011, which is right near the 2.5% number released for Q3 GDP for the United States.

This unspectacular 3% number is even after 100 billion dollars of foreign investment and two recent interest rate cuts. There has been much hype and much investment after it was announced that the World Cup & Olympics would be hosted in this South American country.

However, high inflation as a result of higher commodities and wages will have a negative impact on Brazil’s economy going forward.



The Good: 2014 World Cup & 2016 Olympics

Brazil has a lot to be proud of hosting the World Cup & Olympics two years apart. I have traveled to Brazil over a dozen times and it is wonderful country.

From Oro Preto to Recifi, Brazil has been blessed with spectacular natural beauty. The county is rich in culture, from both the New World & the Old World. Case in point:

A visit to the Lapa neighborhood in Rio De Janeiro on a Friday night will expose the visitor to music with roots from Africa, which in turn has influenced a wide-range of Brazilian music. Brazil is also considered the zenith of soccer, and 5 World Cup’s substantiate this claim.

From Antonio Carlos Jobim to Pele, Brazil has given the world much in the area of art and sport. From an economic point of view it is now considered the largest and most stable country in South America.

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