Via The Economist, a report on how drugs transformed Ecuador from a Latin American success story into a war zone: Resting on a crest of highland overlooking Ecuador’s Pacific coast, Los Bajos is a squalid collection of rough brick homes interspersed with the occasional slot casino. A jungle-clad hill looms over the town; vultures wheel above the unlit […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Economist, a look at Latin America’s oil production future, where Brazil and Guyana are preparing for a bonanza but declining demand threatens the rest of the region: In deep blue waters off the coast of Guyana, gargantuan ships are sucking oil from reservoirs three kilometres below the surface. These machines are transforming the […]
Read more »Via Latinometrics, an interesting look at Latin America’s significant role in the global rose trade: Ecuador and Colombia Represent 34% of the $2.86B+ Rose Export Market Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, sometimes called Día del Amor y la Amistad in Latin America. During this holiday, which celebrates the love between couples but also friends, restaurants, bars, and gift […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, an article on China and Ecuador’s free trade discussions: After four rounds of negotiations and dozens of technical meetings, the Chinese and Ecuadorian teams successfully closed negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries at the technical level. The FTA was negotiated over the course of 10 months, following […]
Read more »Via Forbes, a look at China’s increasing interest in Central and South America: Washington may hate the word, but there is no denying that it has exercised all but untrammeled hegemony in Latin America for as long as anyone can remember. It now faces a challenger: the same one it faces in the western Pacific, […]
Read more »Via South China Morning Post, an article on China’s efforts to slowly undercut US influence in Latin America with 5 ‘new factor’ trade deals with Ecuador, Uruguay, Panama, Colombia and Nicaragua, having already penned agreements with Chile, Costa Rica and Peru: China stands to secure prized natural resources while vying with the United States for allies […]
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