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Paradise Lost, Paraguay Found
The hit of the global economic crisis coupled with the harsh and extended drought has transformed the once-vulnerable Paraguay, with its rich agricultural industry and extensive hydro-electricity resources, into an attraction for foreign investors
Canadian entrepreneurs and investors Neal De Florio and Daniel Wang, Principals of Monarca Capital, are smitten with Paraguay’s stable economy, high incentives, low taxes and abundance of water, extensive arable land and clean electricity, oil and gas. “The strategic geographic location of Paraguay, nicknamed the ‘Heart of South America’ is at the ‘heart’ of the highest income region of the continent, which accounts for almost 50% of South America`s GDP,” say the investors.
Wang and De Florio are in for the long run. They have worked diligently to identify a number of investment opportunities in Paraguay in the banking, agricultural, real estate ,and infrastructure sectors. De Florio says, “Our first priority is to find the ‘right’ partners in Paraguay, then we focus on the opportunities that are available to us in each of the specific sectors we have earmarked. Doing business with honest and ethical people is paramount to long-term success in foreign markets.”
Building A Bridge to the Middle East
In 1973, Ibrahim Oweiss, a professor at Georgetown University in the U.S., created the word "petrodollar" to describe the huge amounts of foreign currency being generated by the oil producing countries, which in turn were largely invested in the economies of other nations. Since then, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have continued these investments through so-called Sovereign Wealth Funds, the largest of them, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is thought to have nearly $900 billion dollars invested worldwide. Major financial institutions like Citigroup and Barclays as well as car makers such as Mercedes Benz and Ferrari already have among their largest shareholders Arab groups such as Kuwait Investment Authority, Aabar Investments, Kingdom Holdings and Mubadala.
The Arabs are long-term and sophisticated investors and are very interested in Latin America. The Gulf Latin America Leaders Council (GLLC) recently formed with the aim of creating a bridge for investments that will help the economic growth in both regions. In general terms, Latin America represents emerging markets, growth markets, a growing middle class, natural resources, as well as human capital. Furthermore, there is the potential awakening of many alternative energy initiatives. Sophisticated investors look very closely at this region. The aforementioned Abu Dhabi Investment Authority already invests in Private Equity firms, such as Southern Cross - focused exclusively in Latin America.
A Week in the Life of Canning House
Canning House, London, was founded in 1943 to promote understanding and exchange between Britain, Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Honouring the name of – to this day – Britain’s only foreign minister to devote a great amount of his energies towards the affairs of Latin America, Canning House aims to foster and foment links through cultural and business exchange.
The business events held at Canning House are often focused on trade investments. Most Canning House members are people who currently have business ties in Latin America or are people interested in expanding to the region. The various events held give them a platform to network and meet other like-minded companies and individuals. A week of events at Canning House is always varied. It can begin with an investment lecture focusing on Central America and end with a Fado concert. Investment-related events are typically focused on various trades – some of the most popular topics: oil and mining, financial systems, and energy theories.
Cuba: return to capitalism?
A New Era for Investment in Argentina
After the fall of Lehman Brothers and the crash of the stock market in 2008, Latin American countries have managed to live through and survive the world crisis very much unscathed. Although the majority of the Latin American countries have endured the crisis, in the rest of the world, its effects have carried on through 2009 to affect not only the financial markets, but also the real economy.
Mexico, Superstar Player of the Emerging Economies
Mexico: Latin America’s newest investment beacon and slightly less-publicised regional superstar. With the highest level of FDI in the region and a more stable political environment than ever before, Mexico is an investment destination prime for the picking and one that is giving its key industrial competitor, China, a run for its money.
The Future of Brazilian Energy Intigration with Peru
November 11th, 2009, Brazil experienced one of its worst blackouts in history. Due to the fall of a transmission line that connects the giant Itaipu Power Plant (the largest operational hydroelectric power plant in the world) to the Brazilian electrical system, the major states of the country had no electricity for more than three hours during the early evening—peak hours for energy consumption. This blackout clearly exposed the fragility of the Brazilian interconnected power system, which is ultra-dependent on the energy generated by the Itaipu Binacional plant
Rio 2016: Opportunities and Responsibilities
By Tessa Albrecht
Brazil certainly has a lot to boast about in the New Year, not in the least its winning bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Cidade Maravilhosaof Rio de Janeiro. The decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on October 2, 2009, speaks loudly to the global community, signaling Brazil’s arrival on the world stage and showing that a developing nation has the ability to muscle in on both global athletic and economic games.
