Brazilian Swap Rates Rise After Central Bank Signal; Real Falls

Brazil’s swap rates climbed after the central bank raised borrowing costs by a half-percentage point for a third straight meeting and signaled that it will maintain the pace of increases.

Analysis: Colombia’s fight against the coca trade

EL TARRA, 28 August 2013 (IRIN) - The Colombian government believes people should just say no to growing coca: those that do not, risk aerial spraying of their illicit crop with powerful pesticides, or manual destruction by work teams hired by private firms and supported by the security forces.

Brazil set to hike interest rates again to rebuild confidence

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil will likely increase interest rates for a fourth straight time on Wednesday, keeping up its aggressive campaign to fight inflation and regain investors' trust in Latin America's largest economy, economists said.

Mexico moving to grow trade ties with Asia

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (Reuters) - Asia could become twice as important to Mexico as an export market over the next five years as the country strengthens trade ties with the fast-growing economies of the region, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Monday.

Argentina says to continue paying debts on same terms:Telam

BUENOS AIRES – Argentina will continue paying bondholders on the same terms, its economy minister told state news agency Telam on Saturday, after losing an appeal in its legal battle with creditors who rejected past restructurings of the country's defaulted debt.

Mexico Rate in Line for Now With Inflation Target, Carstens Says

Mexico’s key interest rate, cut to a record low in March, is in line with the central bank’s goal of lowering annual inflation to 3 percent as the peso weakens amid slower growth, central bank Governor Agustin Carstens said.

Latin America's big China export: The telenovela

FORTUNE -- Whenever you see a Western media company doing business in China, you can bet its executives have had nightmares.

Brazil central bank commits $60bn to prop up currency

Brazil's central bank has announced a $60bn plan to prop up the value of the national currency. It comes as the Brazilian real nears a five-year low against the US dollar.

Mexican Bonds Rally on Weaker-Than-Forecast GDP; Peso Advances

Mexico’s peso bonds rose, pushing yields down the most in two weeks, as slower-than-forecast economic growth fueled speculation that the central bank will reduce borrowing costs.

Brazil World Cup: Tourism board worried by hotel prices

Brazil's tourism board has asked world football governing body Fifa and hotel operators to try to bring down hotel prices – which have reportedly sky-rocketed for the World Cup period.

As a Boom Slows, Peru Grows Uneasy

LIMA, Peru — From his office window, Henrik Kristensen, the chief executive of the company that runs Peru’s main port, can still look out at rows of newly arrived, shiny Kia automobiles from South Korea and shipping containers stacked four high, full of imported items like television sets and brand-name clothing bound for the growing number of malls that serve this country’s burgeoning middle class.

Mexico left-leaning party proposes limited energy reform

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's largest left-of-center political party has proposed a plan that would revamp state-oil monopoly Pemex, but without amending the constitution to permit more private investment in the oil, gas and electricity sectors, as the government has suggested.

Brazil Consumers Start Getting Tired

Brazil is facing increasing headwinds. The economy is sputtering along, doing better than last year’s meager 0.9% growth, but growth forecasts are now being revised downward.

Survey: World Economy Weakened in Second Quarter

The global economy weakened slightly in the second quarter of 2013, mainly driven by declining optimism in Asia and Latin America, although North America showed signs of continuing recovery, according to a World Economic Survey published today by the International Chamber of Commerce and the economic research institute Ifo.

Argentina's Economic Team Hints at Policy Continuity After Election Setback

BUENOS AIRES--President Cristina Kirchner's economic team signaled this week that the administration will keep in place the policies that some observers say contributed to her ruling coalition's poor showing in congressional primary elections.

Brazil Central Bank: Regional Data Shows Mixed Recovery

BRASILIA--Brazil's economy showed a mixed recovery midway through the second quarter despite still the ample availability of credit locally, the country's central bank said Monday.

Analysis: Argentina's Fernandez weakened by vote but still in charge

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez may be a lame duck after her coalition was thumped in a mid-term primary election, but with two years left in power she can still impose more of the capital and currency controls that have cut confidence in Latin America's No. 3 economy.

Factbox: Mexico's unwieldy energy sector braces for historic makeover

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is set to announce a comprehensive energy overhaul this week as he tries to staunch state oil monopoly Pemex's sliding output and boost growth in Latin America's second-largest economy.

Brazil President's Approval Increased on Inflation Slowdown

SAO PAULO--Support for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff increased, although it still remains far from the record level earlier this year, as inflation showed signs of slowdown.

China, Latin America sales help Adidas profits

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- German shoe and sporting goods company Adidas AG said Thursday net profit rose 4 percent in the second quarter to 172 million euros ($229 million) as stronger sales in China and Latin America offset a decline in Europe.

Mexico Consumer Prices Unexpectedly Fell on Food Prices

Mexico’s consumer prices fell in July for the third straight month as food and merchandise prices declined and Latin America’s second-biggest economy struggles to boost growth.

How the Alternative Energy Megatrend will impact global geopolitical relations

The Greening of Geopolitics

The advent of renewable energies is generally regarded from a fairly narrow perspective: whether – and to what extent – they are able to replace fossil fuels and what this would mean for the energy system and the economy. Such a perspective profoundly underestimates the potential consequences of what is in fact a revolutionary global development: a socio-political and techno-economic megatrend that has the ability to become a global societal game-changer, writes Alexander Mirtchev, Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI). According to Mirtchev, the ‘Alternative Energy Megatrend’ will have far-reaching effects on global geopolitical relations and security concerns – effects that have yet to be fully grasped by most observers. This article is adapted from his upcoming book: “The Alternative Energy Megatrend: A Global Security Discourse in the Universally-Securitized World”.

Alternative Energy And Global Energy Security In Aftermath Of Rio+20

“Life always gets harder toward the summit–the cold increases, the responsibility increases.” These words by Friedrich Nietzsche aptly characterize the atmosphere among global leaders at June’s international summits.

Mexico Leader Said to Seek Changes to Break Oil Monopoly

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will seek to amend three articles of the constitution to break Petroleos Mexicanos’s monopoly in the state-run oil industry, according to two people with direct knowledge of the bill.

Brazil Services Sector Shows Signs of Weakness

The services industry in Brazil showed signs of weakness in July, setting a worrying tone for growth in the second semester after a disappointing first half of the year.

Peru Pursues Solar for the Masses

Peru may be best known for Machu Picchu and other Incan and Aztec treasures, but the nation is looking to its future with new plans to use solar to provide electricity for about 2 million of its poorest residents by the end of 2016.

Analysis: Mexico bets on reforms to boost wages, but no quick fix

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexicans hoping their president will make good on a campaign promise to boost wages may be in for a long wait, as the country aims to dodge Brazil's mistakes by betting on economic reforms that will take years to translate into labor gains.

Argentina's Second-Quarter Unemployment Rate Falls to 7.2% -President

BUENOS AIRES--Argentina's unemployment rate fell abruptly to 7.2% in the second quarter as the economy appeared to gain traction following a significant slowdown last year.

Chile: mining worries over power projects

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- The head of Chile's Sonami mining association and the economy minister said Friday that they're deeply concerned that the recent suspension of a planned $1.4 billion thermoelectric plant will hurt the country and its energy-intensive mining industry.

Mexico president to present energy reform next week

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Thursday his sweeping energy reform, which is expected to include constitutional changes to lure private investment and boost output, will be presented to Congress next week.

The First Latin American Innovation Summit Begins Tuesday in Partnership with the Institute for Large Scale Innovation and the Government of Chile

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The first Latin American Innovation Summit (Cumbre de Innovación) opens Tuesday in Santiago, Chile.