Countries/Regions

Wildly expensive credit persists in Brazil. The country's banks need to lower their costs to narrow spreads and expand vitally needed lending.

Mexico's finance secretary has firmly managed Mexico's accounts, even paying off the last of the country's Brady bonds. Economic stability and low inflation now are hallmarks of Latin America's biggest economy.

Brazil has tightened control over financial transactions with a series of regulations that apply to a range of activities and market participants.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has steered Brazil away from the brink of collapse. But jobs remain scarce, poverty is pervasive and investors are few.

Ensuring that Brazilians have an adequate supply of electricity is one of the government's major challenges. But outside investment remains limited.

Argentina is close to a three year agreement with the International Monetary Fund that would open the way for a deal with creditors owed $64 billion.What kind of deal should they expect?

Uruguay's banking system crumbled after Argentines yanked their money out.The financial authorities are left with little to fix.

Argentine banks are still suffering from weak lending, diminished asset and loan quality, and a steep decline in profitability. Deposits are growing but the banking sector's recovery remains slow and tenuous.

Brazilian banks have performed remarkably well because of their competent management. But the credit market remains vastly undertapped because of the high cost of finance in Brazil.