South America’s Great Economic Divide Getting Deeper ?
South America’s Great Economic Divide Getting Deeper ? There’s a rift in Latin America that is neatly defined by two oceans. According to the International Monetary Fund’s latest economic forecasts, the Atlantic-facing countries of Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina, the largest members of the Mercosur customs union, will grow at an average rate of 0.6 percent this year; while Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico—which make up the Pacific Alliance—will expand by 4.2 percent. The divide has little to…
Latin America’s billionaires beat all world records
Here it is, in cold numbers. The 87-page report, titled “Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2014,” says the billionaire population in Latin America and the Caribbean grew by a whopping 38 percent this year, compared with only 18 percent in Asia, 10 percent in the United States and 1 percent in Europe. The report says there are currently 153 billionaires in Latin America and the Caribbean, up from 111 last year. Interestingly, economically bankrupt Venezuela was the country with the biggest billionaire…
Should Latin America set aside outdated ideological prejudices, and insert itself in the global knowledge economy ?
Economists have been predicting for several months that Latin America will have a so-so year in 2015, but new projections from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund suggest that it may be worse than originally expected. That’s bad news, because economic forecasts from the World Bank and the IMF — and even to a greater extent those from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) — tend to be much more optimistic than those of leading private economists.…
2015 Global food & agriculture investment outlook including South America
2015 Global food & agriculture investment outlook including South America We are glad to share with you the 2015 Global food & agriculture investment outlook, published by Valoral Advisors. As the asset class goes institutional, they look at the new investors that are joining the space and the implications for asset managers.The growing allocations by family offices, pension funds and sovereign funds coincide with an increased M&A appetite by corporate ventures and trading houses. Besides bringing…
Argentines have best level of English in Latin America
Anyone over 50 years can attest to the fact that learning a new language is hard work. All the more if you are an Anglo male. However, the good news is that Argentines women in particular are by far the most articulate English speakers. English is extremely popular in Argentina. It is so popular, in fact, that the country stands heads and shoulders above the region. Argentines are the most proficient in English in Latin America, and it isn’t even close, achieving high proficiency in the language in a region…
5 Reasons You Will Not Succeed Selling Real Estate in any country
Unless you are fully committed to real estate as a profession and have a solid business plan, you will have trouble finding success anywhere. Here I have outlined five situations that can bring down your career — and how to avoid them. Over the past twenty five years, I have had the opportunity to train and work with some of the world’s greatest real estate professionals. This experience has allowed me to witness first-hand not only the success stories but also sight more unfulfilled potential than…
How does the market crash in oil prices affect South American agriculture
How does the market crash in oil prices affect South American agriculture I have been trying to get my head around the medium to long-term effects of lower oil prices on agriculture. Who would have thought only six months ago we would have oil prices sub-USD 57 dollars per barrel. Now it seems this could last one year or more, which means it will affect the total food and distribution chain. Many companies will try and resist a lowering of consumer prices but in a globalized world this will only work for a…
What has happened the the Chinese luxury wine market ?
What has happened the the Chinese luxury wine market ? As China’s anticorruption campaign dampens demand for expensive wines, the red obsession with Bordeaux vineyards is starting to evaporate. Chinese were the biggest buyers of Bordeaux vineyards in 2013 with 25 deals, or 75% of the total number of transactions. They bought over 900 hectares, or 2,223 acres, in total, accounting for 20% of the land that changed hands in Bordeaux last year, according to Vineyard Intelligence, which tracks vineyard purchases.…
KMPG’S Indirect Tax Guide to South America
KMPG’S Indirect Tax Guide to South America has been updated Here is a very informative indirect tax guide to doing Real Estate business in Latin America done by KMPG. Always seek to quantify and qualify if there have been any recent changes. ( believe me, there will have been ) About Gateway to South AmericaGateway to South America is an independent Brokerage and Advisory company committed to helping foreign investors to invest in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. ShareShareTweetWhatsAppEmail
How To Obtain Residency and Citizenship in Uruguay
Figures released by the Uruguayan Immigration Office show that in 2012 over 5000 applications were filed for residence, but at the same time only 2400 applications were granted. This goes a long way to explaining why the time taken to obtain residence in Uruguay has shot up from 6 months only 2-3 years ago to around 24 months now. Since 2008 the number of applications filed has increased from just over 2000 to over 5000 i.e. 150 %. At the same time the number of employees assigned to residency applications…
Economic Snapshot of Latin America
(This article was written by Focus Economics and was published on December 9, 2014) Economic Snapshot of Latin America More complete data showed that growth in most Latin American economies bottomed out in the second quarter and that it is picking up slowly in the second half of the year. In the third quarter, the regional GDP estimate (excluding Venezuela which hasn’t yet published GDP figures for 2014) showed that the economy grew 0.7% year-on-year, which came in slightly above the 0.6% expansion observed…
Argentina outspends the rest of Latin America in education
Argentina outspends the rest of Latin America in education Argentina is one of the biggest investors in education throughout Latin America, according to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development study, which noted that Argentina allocated 6.3 percent of its GDP to education in 2012, compared to the five-percent average for the region and 5.6 percent for the OECD as a whole. The OECD is made up by an estimated 80 countries. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner praised the study yesterday,…
Bahía Vik, José Ignacio, Uruguay
Jet-setters flocking to José Ignacio for the short, swank social season have a third Vik Retreat to try. Bahía Vik is now open. Why Go: During January and February, the tiny Uruguayan beach town of José Ignacio welcomes the rich and famous. An alternative to staying among the high-rises of the nearby resort city of Punta de Este, the outpost welcomes visitors down dirt roads to stylish boutique hotels and family-owned restaurants. Applauding at polo matches is a popular pastime, as are browsing one-off shops,…
A new study shows Argentina is a relatively safe country in which to live
WHO figures show Argentina is relatively safe country in world’s most violent region Homicide rates in Latin America are the highest in the world — clocking in at 28.5 per 100,000 inhabitants — but estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) place Argentina in line with the best in the region with about six homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the WHO, in 2012 165,617 people were murdered in Latin America and the Caribbean, making up about 35 percent of the the 475,000 homicides committed…
Global Food Security Depends on Modern Agricultural Techniques
Studies released at a symposium in Washington, D.C. underscored the wide range of benefits modern agriculture has provided to society and emphasized the importance of continued innovation and new technologies to meeting growing global food, feed, fiber and industrial needs. Research presented by a diverse group of experts in agriculture, economics, conservation and food security detailed how technological advancements employed on farms and across the food chain have provided an abundant, safe, affordable food…
