News Roundup: Castro and U.S. Candidates, FDI in Mexico, and Corporate Espionage in Brazil
News Roundup: Castro and U.S. Candidates, FDI in Mexico, and Corporate Espionage in Brazil
Presidential candidates react to news of Fidel Castro’s resignation, U.S.-Latin American trade rises, how the Fed's decisions affects El Salvador, and the G8+5 meeting in Brasilia. Read about these news stories and more in our weekly roundup.
Following the announcement of Fidel Castro’s resignation, U.S. Presidential candidates responded with calls to release prisoners and for democratic reform. “Fidel Castro's stepping down is an essential first step, but it is sadly insufficient in bringing freedom to Cuba,” said Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). His rival, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), said the new leadership in Cuba faced a choice between the “the failed policies of the past that have stifled democratic freedoms and stunted economic growth” or democratic reform. Republican front runner Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said the United States must be “absolutely confident that the transition to a free and open democracy is being made” before providing necessary aid to Cuba. “Raul Castro has proven that he's as much a tyrant and dictator as his brother Fidel,” said former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. “Simply providing more power to another dictator does nothing to promote freedom and democracy to the Cuban people.”
The Council on Foreign Relations takes a look at candidates’ Cuba policies. The Miami Herald carries reactions to Castro’s resignation from around the world.
Read AS/COA Online analysis of prospects for Cuba’s political and economic future under new leadership.
U.S.-Latin America Trade on the Rise
A special report in Latin Business Chronicle examines U.S.-Latin America trade relations. After a slow first half of 2007, U.S. trade with the region grew by 6.2 percent and Brazil replaced Venezuela as Washington’s second biggest trading partner.
Asian-Latin American trade is also on the rise, as a recent AS/COA update discusses.
Canada-Colombia Nearing Trade Pact
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier ended a visit t to Bogotá, saying Canada is committed to concluding negotiations for a free trade agreement with Colombia in the near future.
The Council of the Americas hosted a November meeting called “Partnering with Colombia” to examine U.S.-Colombian trade relations. Read a summary of the event.
Keeping the Connection in Colombia
Colombia’s Semana reports that a new cable line connecting Cartagena with Boca Ratón could help avoid the widespread Internet blackouts Colombia experienced in 2007.
AS/COA Online covered recent international anti-FARC marches, which were organized with the help of social networking site Facebook.
Rising FDI in Mexico
Mexico experienced a 23 percent increase in foreign direct investment in 2007, reported the Ministry of the Economy, representing the country’s sharpest rise in FDI since 2001.
During his first official visit to the United States last week Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón promoted FDI as a tool to slow Mexican migration to the United States. Read an AS/COA analysis of his U.S. tour, which included a private meeting at AS/COA.
The Fed’s Impact on El Salvador
The Wall Street Journal’s Mary Anastasia O’Grady warns that the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has exported inflation to the liberalized economy of El Salvador, threatening the popularity of the pro-market Arena party in power.
G8+5 Gather in Brasilia
On February 21 and 22, Brazil hosts 100 lawmakers and business leaders from the G8 countries and five emerging economies (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa) to discuss a post-2012 framework for controlling climate change.
Writing in the Miami Herald, the World Bank’s Pamela Cox says the meeting represents “a change in how global negotiations are framed” as it grew out of “a consensus that it is time to move the debate to emerging economies.”
Read recent AS/COA Online coverage about challenges and opportunities for conservation in the Amazon.
“Corporate Espionage” in Brazil
Brazilian police believe the theft of computers and hard drives belonging to Brazilian emergy company Petrobras is case of corporate espionage. The Financial Times reports that police are gathering evidence from Halliburton and Petrobras about the crime involving theft of computer equipment, which contained secret information about recent Brazilian discoveries of massive oil and natural gas deposits.
AS/COA offers an analysis of Brazil’s Tupi oil field discovery.
Bolivian Gas Talks in Buenos Aires
Leaders of Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil gather in Buenos Aires this weekend to discuss Bolivian gas contracts with both countries. Bolivian officials predict that current natural gas production will not suffice to meet both Brazilian needs and Argentina’s rising winter demand. Mercopress suggests Brazil and Argentina could face brownouts and energy rationing in the coming months.