The Pacific Alliance: A new Latin American superpower

Times are tough for the former richest man in Brazil. Flamboyant Eike Batista made a name for himself by creating a string of billion-dollar commodity and infrastructure companies. But in the last year he saw a stunning $25bn wiped off his net worth. So where did it all gone wrong? At his peak, Batista was… Continue reading The Pacific Alliance: A new Latin American superpower

How to profit from the shale revolution in Latin America

What do the Russian government and Greenpeace have in common? They both fear the spread of America’s shale gas revolution. The former worries that if shale takes off elsewhere it will weaken its position in the market, while the latter dreads the supposed environmental consequences of global shale production. I’m sure you have all heard… Continue reading How to profit from the shale revolution in Latin America

Why Latin America is perfect for renewable energy

My fiancée and I are planning our honeymoon at the moment. After weeks of looking at brochures we’re no closer to booking anything, but I have become pretty familiar with how Latin American countries sell themselves to tourists. The pitch generally goes something like this: “[insert country name] is a land of contrasts. A long… Continue reading Why Latin America is perfect for renewable energy

Three great ways to earn income in Latin America

It seems that for many British investors Latin America is like marmite – you either love it or you hate it. Whenever I write about investing in Latin America reader responses generally fall into one of two camps: they either think I’m nuts, or they think it’s a great idea. Of course regular New World… Continue reading Three great ways to earn income in Latin America

What I learned at a Colombian country club

I was last in Cali in 2007, and since then the sweltering, tropical ‘World Capital of Salsa’ has changed a lot. New bridges and tunnels make getting around the place a lot easier while the military presence in the city has been relaxed. That said, like much of Colombia, there’s still plenty of work to… Continue reading What I learned at a Colombian country club

A great time to own land in Latin America

This has been a painful year so far for Latin America’s farmers. From Colombia’s coffee heartlands to Argentina’s rolling pampas, farmers are being hit by falling prices. Sugar is down around 50% from its 2010 peak, while coffee has fallen by more than 50%. Cereals, which are also down 24%, look likely to take another… Continue reading A great time to own land in Latin America

How to profit from Latin America’s bubbling tech sector

When it comes to reading and writing about Latin America, it can be hard to avoid the clichés. In the same way that Ireland has cornered the market for friendly people with the gift of the gab, and France for food and romance, Latin America has nailed dancing, passion and football. Of course, like most… Continue reading How to profit from Latin America’s bubbling tech sector

Exploit the panic to buy Mexico on the cheap

Rioting protesters, a shrinking economy – it’s little wonder international investors are fleeing Mexico. It’s all a rude awakening for Enrique Peña Nieto, a golden boy of Mexican politics, who until now, had enjoyed a honeymoon start to his presidency. I’ve been bullish on Mexico since mid 2012, the market is up overall since then.… Continue reading Exploit the panic to buy Mexico on the cheap

Britain is rebuilding its Latin American trading empire

William Hague thinks Britain should be selling much more stuff to Latin America, so he’s made the region one of his top foreign policy priorities. Since coming to power in 2010, the coalition has opened new embassies and consulates in Paraguay, Brazil, Haiti and El Salvador. I’ve heard the Foreign Secretary explain the new policy… Continue reading Britain is rebuilding its Latin American trading empire