Countries/Regions

With the Argentine economy quickly crumbling and the rules changing with such bewildering speed, little is certain in the debt negotiations of local companies and their creditors.

Caribbean nations with substantial offshore financial sectors have not responded uniformly to international efforts to crack down on money laundering and tax evasion.

Cemex, the Mexican cement company, is a global player that has acquired competitors on five continents. But the markets are carefully watching Cemex?s Asian expansion, worried that it might now be overextending itself.

As Secretary of Mexico?s Ministry of Comptrollership and Administrative Development, Francisco Barrio Terrazas is the country?s anti-corruption czar. His job, and that of his office, is to stamp out deep-rooted government corruption and promote financial transparency and accountability in all public institutions. Here Barrio describes Mexico?s multi-pronged attack on dishonesty and fraud in government, and acknowledges that a prolonged and relentless effort is necessary to alter the course of decades of corruption.

Against the odds, the best Latin American funds posted respectable returns last year. And despite Argentina?s troubles, economic fundamentals in the region?s main markets look strong and stocks and bonds stand to benefit.

The major Caribbean countries this year face rising debt loads, election uncertainty and economic challenges. To keep investors satisfied, they must maintain fiscal discipline and diversify their markets.

Canadian mutual fund magnate Michael Lee-Chin recently expanded his empire with the purchase of Jamaica?s largest bank. He plans to use National Commerical Bank?s 50 branches to distribute every conceivable financial product.

Riding on the tails of Mexico?s freshly upgraded credit rating, Grupo Televisa, the Spanish-language television broadcaster, was able to raise $300 million with 30-year plain vanilla bond in the international market.