Associated Press
Mexico May Raffle Presidential Boeing 787 Dreamliner
After unsuccessfully trying to sell its lavish presidential jet for over a year the government of Mexico has offered it to the Canadian Government and if that fails they will raffle the jet with tickets selling at 500 pesos ($25) each according to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador who took office in December of 2018 and vowed never to use the Dreamliner and has flown commercial ever since. The minimum price is set at US$130 million (well under the US$218.7 million the jet cost in 2016). The first year of operating costs will be included in the deal.....
1 February 2020

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Thomas Manning

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Brazil Reports:
Reuters
Mexican government preparing 'ambitious' criminal justice reform

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Faced with rampant drug violence and homicides at record highs, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government is preparing far-reaching reforms of Mexico’s justice system to combat insecurity and a culture of impunity, officials said on Monday. 
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Mexican law enforcement agencies have suffered several spectacular security setbacks since Lopez Obrador came to power a year ago, and his government, which controls both chambers of Congress, is scrambling to address growing insecurity nationwide....
Caribjournal.com
Belize Has Quietly Become a Caribbean Hotspot

Long a well-kept secret for travelers in the know, Belize has quietly become a full-fledged Caribbean hotspot in recent years, buoyed by one of the region’s fastest rates of tourism growth. 

And now it’s borne out by the data — Belize just set a new all-time record for tourism arrivals to the destination, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The buzzing destination on the Caribbean coast of Central America topped the half-million mark for stayover viistor arrivals for the first time last year.  The Belize Tourism Board confirmed that the country welcomed 503,177 overnight visitors last year, a 2.8 percent increase compared to 2018.....
ENGLISH LANGUAGE BUSINESS NEWS BY COUNTRY
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LATIN AMERICAN COMMENTARY
​Media Columnist; ​Thomas Manning​
Buenos Aires Times
​New Zealand - The Loss of Innocence
EMA BusinessPlus Magazine
​Brazil's Messiah
'Neoliberal Denouement in Chile'
 Latin America Columnist: Thomas Manning
DIPLOMATIC NEWS
HE Dr Hubert A. Minnis, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas received the Credentials of HE Anton Ojala (L), non-resident New Zealand High Commissioner on 3 December 19. Dr Minnis tweeted that the Bahamas is looking forward to working with New Zealand particularly in the areas of climate change, education and digitization.  Photo credit: @minnis_dr
New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Hon. David Parker (R) together with Chile’s Vice Minister of Trade Hon. Rodrigo Yañez (L) and Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Hon. Chan Chun Sing (Centre) announced in Singapore on 21 January 2020 the conclusion of talks on a Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA).  - Photo Credit: @subrei_chile
New Zealand Ambassador to Argentina HE Carl Worker (L) presented working copies of Letters of Credence and Recall to the Argentine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, HE Ambassador Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti on 16 January 2020 - Photo credit: @carlworker
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'Flight of the Phoenix'
Cristina Kirchner rising from the ashes of Macri's failed presidency 
Latin America Columnist: Thomas Manning
VIDEO - LATIN AMERICAN / NZ BUSINESS & ECONOMICS​​
Latin America must diversify beyond commodities to expand regional trade 

Bladex, the foreign trade bank of Latin America, has been working to support and promote Latin American trade since the political and economic troubles of the 1970s and 80s. As Bladex celebrates its 40th anniversary, CEO N Gabriel Tolchinsky explores the economies of Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, and discusses the prospects for trade growth in the region.....
The lucrative business of illegal activity in Latin America

Political analyst Laura Carlsen joins “Americas Now” anchor Elaine Reyes from Mexico City to discuss the impact of illegal enterprises on government and society in South America. As Elaine tells us, illicit activity - like illegal mining - is widespread and extremely profitable throughout Latin America. Activities like drug-trafficking in Mexico, account for tens of billions of dollars each year. Elaine asks Laura about this “underground” economy and its money-making capability....
Can they achieve the mission? | G.T. Whitesides, Virgin Galactic CEO

George T. Whitestides is the CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, within Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Virgin Galactic is a space tourism company developing commercial spacecraft and aiming to offer suborbital flights into space to paying customers. Prior to joining Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, George T. Whitesides was NASA's Chief of Staff where he was awarded the company's highest honour, the Distinguished Service Medal....
'Simón Bolívar’s Legacy' 
Columnist: Thomas Manning
LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS​
January 22, 2020
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This year's prospects for Latin America were slashed for the fifth month running in December, with regional activity seen modestly picking up mainly on strengthening momentum in Brazil and Mexico. Argentina is poised to remain in recession for the third consecutive year. Heightened social tensions, policy uncertainty and tepid global demand cloud the outlook.

Regional inflation ended 2019 at a six-month high of 7.9% (November: 7.4%). Lackluster economic conditions have largely kept inflation in check in most countries of the region. The stark exceptions remain Argentina and Venezuela, while core inflation has proved sticky in Mexico. Inflationary pressures are seen subsiding further this year on modest activity growth....
Latin America: The Political Outlook

After riots in several countries last year, what is Latin America’s political outlook this year?

What is the political outlook in Latin America?  Will Brazil’s Congress continue to govern independent of the erratic, but somewhat business-friendly President Jair Bolsonaro? Will Mexico’s nationalist-leftist president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (popularly known as AMLO) try to extend his power? Will Argentina’s new president Alberto Fernandez govern independently of his vice president Cristina Kirchner? Will Colombia become a new Chile in terms of riots? What will happen in Chile this year? And will Peru be able to return to political stability?....
'Black Gold Bonanza for Guyana' 
Columnist: Thomas Manning
BUSINESS TRAVEL


Forbes
The Best Hotels In Mexico City

Whether you’re interested in a cool bohemian boutique where locals like to hang or a luxury brand hotel in the heart of the city, Mexico City has accommodations for every type of traveler.
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A city of nearly 22 million residents, CDMX (Ciudad de México), as it’s more commonly referred to these days, is easily one of the most exciting and overwhelming places to visit, and with so much to see, eat and do in this sprawling urban megalopolis, knowing where you want to retreat after a long day of exploring can be key to a successful visit. So from a converted manor house in Roma to a luxurious haunt in the heart of town, here are the best hotels in Mexico’s capital city.....
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​Two Monkeys Travel Group
The Best Luxury Hotels In Suriname

The Republic of Suriname is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. Considered to be a culturally Caribbean country and long inhabited by numerous cultures of indigenous tribes, most of Suriname is covered in luscious green forests and nature reserves. The people of Suriname are considered as among the most diverse in the world, spanning a multitude of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups.  The Suriname economy is predicted to grow immensely over the next decade as a result of the recent discovery of substantial oil reserves off the coast.....
'Crouching Tiger' - Latin America in China's sights
Columnist: Thomas Manning

​CULTURAL NEWS​​
npr.org
The Brazilian Guitarist Beloved By Musicians Around The World

Guitarist and composer Guinga is a popular songwriter in Brazil: his songs have been recorded by the likes of superstar Elis Regina and he's a favorite of musicians around the world like Michel Legrand and Sergio Mendes. But Guinga is less well-known outside Brazil and considering his successful five-decade career, he's an unusually modest musician.  "I met so many virtuoso players in Brazil and had the opportunity to interact with so many virtuoso guitarists, including one called Hélio Delmiro," he says. "Everything that I tried to do in life is to play like him. And since I could never achieve it, I ended up playing like Guinga. It was better for me."....
afar.com
The Perfect Weekend in Mexico City


Tour the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Palacio Nacional and see the sublime murals of the world's foremost muralists; Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco (a small selection of their work below), feast in the street-food scene, haggle your way through a craft market, visit the ancient city of Teotihuacan, the floating flower markets in the Xochimilco Canals and don't miss the spectacular Zócalo flag ceremony with goose-stepping military police (the weightier the ceremony, the higher the kick!). Three days gives you just enough time to learn why you'll want to come back to vibrant Mexico City.....
Forbes
Buenos Aires After Madonna


It’s been 23 years since Madonna took Buenos Aires by storm. Playing Eva Perón, the “spiritual leader” of Argentina and the star of the film Evita, Madonna filmed the movie with director Alan Parker and co-stars Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce in Buenos Aires as well as in studios in Hollywood and Hungary.  The cast and crew traveled to Argentina to shoot the famous balcony scene (”Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”) at the Government’s Casa Rosada, where the real Evita stood (but didn’t sing).  Madonna and co-star Banderas filmed their tango scenes in the mansion at The Four Seasons Buenos Aires where expert local dancers were on hand to help guide them in their steps....

​Palacio de Bellas Artes & Palacio Nacional - Murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco
'New Zealand and the Loss of Innocence'
Columnist: Thomas Manning'

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'Brazil's Messiah' - A new President takes Charge
Columnist: Thomas Manning

PUBLISHER & EDITOR
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​'Latin American Business Digest' © is a free fortnightly E-digest aggregating New Zealand - Latin American Business News, Economic Analysis, Market Reports & Video published by Manning Group Limited and edited by Thomas Manning who has advised on and managed projects for New Zealand companies in Latin America for over 30 years,  Thomas is a former Vice President of the Latin America New Zealand Business Council and is a Buenos Aires Times Columnist who also writes regularly for EMA's BusinessPLus Magazine. Thomas' Linkedin Profile & Media Archive

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Transpolar flight grows NZ trade opportunities in Latin America
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