Latin American Economy & Business
Economy & Business - May 2026
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- Venezuela: A new mining El Dorado?
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: Further upheaval in the energy sector
- REGION: Steel sector raises concerns with Andean Community
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- ARGENTINA: Deregulation reaches the top of the Andes
- ARGENTINA: Milei bags victory in YPF nationalisation case
- PARAGUAY: Peña pivots away from austerity with ministerial change
- BRAZIL: Lula aims to fix INSS as election pressure mounts
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: AI telemedicine programme expands to cover chronic illnesses
- NICARAGUA: New US sanctions test gold mining strategy
- PANAMA: Iran conflict drives windfall as Canal transit price spikes
- REGION: War in Iran hits island economies
- CUBA: More sanctions
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Abinader puts gold on hold
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
MEXICO & USMCA
- MEXICO: Mexico resorts to fracking to boost energy sovereignty
- MEXICO: Gov’t seeks to boost domestic steel industry
- MEXICO: US watch list downgrade seen as positive sign for USMCA review
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
In a move that echoed the opening up of Venezuela’s hydrocarbon industry earlier this year, on 9 April the national assembly approved sweeping legislation aimed at transforming a mining sector plagued by illegality and environmental degradation into a hub for the West’s critical mineral supply chains.
Economy & Business - April 2026
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- Mexico, region face up to rising fuel prices
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: US deepens détente with Caracas to speed up oil exports
- ECUADOR: Noboa angers local governments with unusual spending rule
- BOLIVIA: Paz seeks stronger Brazil ties in Lula meeting
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Finance minister leaves mixed legacy on economy
- ARGENTINA: The risk of Milei’s shock economic opening
- PARAGUAY: Peña notches public finance win with pension reform
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- REGION: Fuel price increases give governments hard choices
- HONDURAS: Public spending law hands Asfura new powers
- REGION: Searching for agreement on labour migration
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
MEXICO & USMCA
- MEXICO: Ambitious infrastructure plan gets positive reception
- MEXICO: Volaris-Viva Aerobus merger moves ahead
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
Despite being a major producer of crude oil, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has been forced to take concerted action to cushion the blow from surging international energy prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
Economy & Business - March 2026
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- Boost for Milei with labour reform in Argentina
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- COLOMBIA: Legislative elections divide congress and muddle presidential race
- ECUADOR: New law aims to turbocharge mining sector
- PERU: Chancay megaport becomes focus of US-China tensions
- BOLIVIA: Latest fuel crisis sparked by contamination issue
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- BRAZIL: Lula makes work-week reduction a campaign promise
- PARAGUAY: Peña’s reform course shows results
- URUGUAY: Modest growth and rising debt under Orsi despite tailwinds
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- EL SALVADOR: Bitcoin crash impacts debt markets and relations with IMF
- REGION: Record remittances to northern Central American nations in 2025
- PANAMA: US$3bn bond sale in first under Mulino
- CUBA: Diesel travels by tank
- GUYANA: Largest budget yet
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
MEXICO & USMCA
- MEXICO: El Mencho killing risks long-term economic impacts
- MEXICO: Disappointing growth in 2025 despite Q4 boost
- MEXICO: Banxico pauses rate-cutting cycle
- MEXICO: Citi to sell a further stake in Banamex ahead of IPO
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
President Javier Milei scored one of his biggest victories yet when congress approved his sweeping labour reform in late February.
Economy & Business - February 2026
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- Longer-term factors behind Cuba’s economic collapse
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- VENEZUELA: New law reopens oil industry to private sector
- ECUADOR/COLOMBIA: Noboa unleashes Trump-style tariff war to prod Petro
- PERU: Petroperú faces restructuring
- BOLIVIA: Good news and bad
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- REGION: More possible roadblocks for EU-Mercosur deal
- BRAZIL: Rare earth giant wakes as minerals race heats up
- CHILE: Miners’ enthusiasm eases as Kast snubs cabinet hopes
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- HONDURAS: Asfura promises new economic direction
- COSTA RICA: Chaves leaves mixed economic picture for successor Fernández
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
MEXICO & USMCA
- MEXICO: Mexico hails “record” tax take in 2025
- MEXICO: USMCA trade talks begin ahead of July deadline
- MEXICO: Grupo Carso deepens involvement in oil sector
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
Cuba faces multiple crises: oil imports have halted, following the US’ removal of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) and subsequent threat of tariffs on other oil suppliers; the power grid only operates at half its capacity; and there are food and foreign currency shortages.
Economy & Business - January 2026
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- The long path to rebuilding Venezuela’s broken economy
ANDEAN COUNTRIES
- BOLIVIA: Paz lands partial victory after fuel subsidy fight
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
BRAZIL & SOUTHERN CONE
- CHILE: Kast expected to moderate radical right-wing agenda
- BRAZIL: Bank collapse uncovers political, regulatory, market issues
- ARGENTINA: Milei bills advance in congress with writeoffs
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN
- GUATEMALA: Setback for gov’t as CC suspends 2026 budget
- NICARAGUA: US imposes phased-in tariffs following trade investigation
- EL SALVADOR: Bukele gov’t announces AI education partnership with Elon Musk
- CUBA: New devaluation fails to convince the markets
- HAITI: Economic recovery on the agenda
- REGION: Tough year ahead?
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
MEXICO & USMCA
- MEXICO: Tariffs on China take effect
- MEXICO: Airline merger to face close regulatory scrutiny
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum moves on labour law overhaul
- ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrations were largely absent in the streets of Caracas after the dramatic US raid to arrest former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) on drug and weapons charges on 3 January.