Economy & Business - November 2019

Chile ranks top in the region in the latest competitiveness report from the World Economic Forum (WEF), while Haiti comes in last.... Read More

Coverage of the political conflict in Venezuela over the past few years has frequently referenced shortages and sky-high prices of essential medications in that country, with humanitarian efforts focusing on opening up channels to supply Venezuelans with what they need.... Read More

Although a great deal of focus in recent months has been on Brazil and the forest fires raging in its Amazonian territory, its neighbour Bolivia has had its own share of problems, particularly in the Chiquitania area of the Santa Cruz department, where the arid lowlands of the Chaco region meet the Amazon rainforest.... Read More

Countries around the world struggle to maintain a healthy labour market that matches workers with high-quality jobs.... Read More

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A major and mysterious oil spill in the Brazilian northeast, first reported in early September, has now polluted well over 200 beaches.... Read More

A major oil and gas licensing auction, which took place on 6 November and had been billed a ‘mega-tender’, was expected to raise around US$25bn in signing fees and confirm the Brazilian offshore as a world-class prospect for hydrocarbon exploration and production (E&P).... Read More

Solar energy continues to offer a source of highly-competitive and renewable electricity, according to the latest auction.... Read More

In recent years Uruguay has managed a floating exchange rate which has offered a reasonable combination of flexibility and stability.... Read More

Analysts have been puzzled by the outbreak of major protests in Chile, a country that is relatively wealthier and more equal than many of its neighbours.... Read More

With Mexico teetering on the brink of a downgrade by the main credit ratings agencies, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assessments of the government’s economic policy stance and performance results are particularly closely watched. ... Read More

A German-based firm that organises trade fairs across the world, Deutsche Messe, held an event – ‘Industrial Transformation Mexico’ – in León, Guanajuato in mid-October.... Read More

The economic acceleration promised by Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has yet to take hold, with data released at the end of October by the central bank (Banxico) confirming that the economy has continued to stagnate.... Read More

Mexico’s ministry environment & natural resources ministry (Semarnat) on 1 October published the ‘preliminary bases of the emissions trading system (ETS)’s pilot programme’ in the official gazette (Diario Oficial de la Federacion).... Read More

In recent years Central America has been ravaged by drought and changing weather patterns which have far reaching consequences in the region and beyond. ... Read More

As the US administration has increasingly sought to crack down on countries providing logistical or financial support to Venezuela, it has tightened sanctions on Cuba in recent months.... Read More

Given the increasing antagonism between the Cuban and US governments, it appears nonsensical that Cuba has chosen this moment to permit some retailers to start selling goods denominated in US dollars.... Read More