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The emergence of China as a major player in the global trade of goods and services has undoubtedly delivered benefits for Latin America—primarily by enhancing the value of its exports of natural resources and related products. But China’s growth as a commercial power has also created a major competitor in the markets of Latin America’s … Read more

La búsqueda de la prosperidad y el bienestar es una constante de todos los pueblos. Las sociedades siempre han buscado soluciones para vivir mejor y desarrollar su potencial. En los tiempos recientes, como nunca antes, las tecnologías de la información han mostrado ser herramientas eficientes para elevar la calidad de vida de las personas y … Read more

Throughout time, civilizations have constantly searched for prosperity and social welfare. Societies have sought for solutions that allow them to live better and develop their potential. More than ever, in the past few years, information technologies have proven to be efficient tools in enhancing people’s quality of life and bringing them closer to knowledge. But … Read more

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has defied and frustrated opponents and observers for 13 years. Will the October 2012 presidential elections be any different? Many believe a worsening economy, electricity and water shortages, and rising crime and lawlessness weakened El Comandante Chávez politically even before his cancer diagnosis. Polls conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner before news … Read more

In the first decade of the 2000s, Uruguay unsuccessfully tried to sign a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. These efforts were pursued first by the administration of President Jorge Batlle (2000–2005) of the center-right Partido Colorado and then by President Tabaré Vázquez (2005–2010) of the center-left Frente Amplio coalition. Many observers believed … Read more

The abrupt resignation in mid-March of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico—just as President Barack Obama was embarking on a five-day friendship mission to Latin America—is a stark example of the delicate, often irascible bilateral relationship. A diplomatic cable unearthed by WikiLeaks, in which Ambassador Carlos Pascual characterized Mexican security forces as ineffective and riddled with … Read more

During the early 1990s, many Latin American and U.S. analysts expressed concerns about an Asian giant that was buying Brazilian iron ore and investing in Mexican manufacturing, while at the same time showing signs of out-competing Latin American and U.S. firms in the region. That giant was Japan. Hysteria heightened and academic research accumulated. But … Read more

Latin America has a new competitive edge: call centers. The growing Spanish-speaking population north of the Rio Grande, combined with increased English proficiency, has made the region a highly desirable near-shore customer care destination for U.S. and Canadian companies. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico are the industry’s top investment destinations. In each, … Read more

If economic forecasters are correct, boom years are ahead for Colombia. Private and official analysts predict the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by an average of 5 percent per year over the next decade. Much of the forecast, though, is based on the assumption that the country will experience an upsurge in mining … Read more

In August, on his fourth official visit to Latin America, Prime Minister Stephen Harper set out to reboot Canada’s on-and-off-again relationship with the region. In the first stop on a four-country tour that took him to Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Honduras, Harper declared in São Paulo that “during too long a time we neglected … Read more

Maria Teresa Kumar discovered early in life that she had an interest in political activism. The 37-year-old executive director of Voto Latino, a nonprofit organization that promotes civic engagement among U.S. Latinos, grew up in Sonoma County, California, but spent summers in her native Colombia. Witnessing her father fall ill and her mother struggle to … Read more

In the last decade, 32 million people joined the ranks of Brazil’s middle class, increasing demand for consumer goods and cyber-connectivity. But while urban centers in Brazil are as plugged in as anywhere else in the world, smaller cities and rural areas struggle with limited infrastructure, shoddy connections and overpriced services. Internet entrepreneur Osvaldo Lucho … Read more

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