Inflation looms in Colombia.
Worries about government spending and inflation dominate the
analysis of Colombia's economy for 2007.
In January 2007, the Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles) was writing
about the "brisk" growth of . . .
Not much progress in Honduras.(Country overview)
Here is the kind of severe weather event that the Honduran economy
cannot deal with without serious disruption. "Overflowing rivers in
Honduras caused by intense rain isolated more than 20,000 . . .
Living with high interest in Brazil.(Market overview)
When a Brazilian family makes a major purchase, no thought is given
to what the interest rate might be. The only concern is the monthly
installment payment. Can it fit into the family's budget?
. . .
Mexican consumers: not too confident.
Mexico's consumer confidence index declined somewhat from
104.3 points in January 2007 to 103.6 points in February 2007, a March
6, 2007 Reuters dispatch said. The Bank of Mexico (Banixco), . . .
Flooding hits Bolivia.
Bolivia has suffered an environmental shock that has destroyed some
key elements of its hard-won infrastructure, and is forcing the
government to lower its growth forecast for 2007. On March 3, . . .
Unsettled situation in Ecuador.
The situation in Ecuador since its new leftist president took
office in January 2007 is unsettled. The new president has high approval
ratings but his charisma does not extend to the country's . . .
Direct Response Television (DRTV).
Direct response advertising is relatively new to the Latin American
region. According to a December 20, 2006 analysis published in
Electronic Retailer Magazine (Arlington, VA USA) direct . . .
Unemployment falls as Chile's economy matures.
The graph above illustrates an interesting development in the
Chilean economy. Starting around June 2006, the unemployment rate (the
yellow line in the graph above) began a steep decline, which . . .
Consumer wrath riles Mexican economy.
Reports emanating from Mexico seem to take an almost jocular
attitude toward a serious increase in the price of tortillas. Tortillas
are one of the country's most important foods, and according to . . .
Guatemala gasps under a pall of violence.
If Rigoberta Menchu wins the presidency in Guatemala in elections
tentatively set for September 9, 2007, she will be only the second head
of state in Latin America counted among her country's . . .
Positive signs emerge from Bolivia.
Bolivia, and its left leaning president, get a passing grade from
the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) (Washington) for its
first full year in office. "There were improvements in most . . .
FDI and remittances rise in Panama.
A February 16, 2007 story published by the newspaper La Prensa
(Panama City) said that remittances to Panamanians from friends and
family overseas increased 17.6 percent in 2006 when compared . . .
Small signs suggest a Paraguayan recovery.(Brief article)
Paraguay's location and lax border controls has given it a
reputation as a smuggler's paradise. The country is often cited as
a hotbed of corruption and has struggled economically in recent years. . . .
Labor reforms are difficult for Peru.
About half of all workers in Latin America are part of the
"informal economy," that is they work for themselves or
businesses that do not have a business license. Many unlicensed
businesses and . . .
Microinsurance.
A posting on the World Bank website on January 3, 2007, says,
"Microinsurance is every bit as powerful as microcredit. Even
better, insurance products can prevent people from falling into . . .
Uneven prospects for the Dominican economy.
Two obvious conclusions can be drawn from the graph above. The
first is that since 2000 private consumption in the Dominican Republic
(DR) has been growing. The blue linear trend line clearly . . .
Control of inflation critical for Argentina.(population growth
and inflation)
"Investment can't work miracles," a local economic
analyst told Reuters during an interview for a story on January 15,
2007. The story was about Argentina's continuing battle with
inflation, which . . .
Belize makes a deal on debt.
Belize is one of those countries for whom nature is a double edged
sword. On one side, Belize is endowed with great physical beauty-and the
considerable draw that provides for a robust tourist . . .
Chile's economy slows somewhat.
On January 5, 2007, The Central Bank of Chile released preliminary
results for the Bank's Monthly Index of Economic Activity (Imacec)
for November 2006. The index increased 4.2 percent when . . .
Consumers are spending in Brazil.(Brief article)
Hong Kong published a forecast of Brazil's economic prospects
for 2007 on its trade development website on January 10, 2007. The
central thrust of the TDC's review is that Brazil is in . . .
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