Another G-7 economy took a big step toward adopting a central bank digital currency (CBDC). At the same time, the first largish economy to have launched a CBDC, Nigeria, descends further into financial chaos.More
Brazilian President Lula da Silva Locks Horns with Brazil’s Richest Man, Jorge Paulo Lemann
In a rare turn up for the books, the head of state of Latin America’s largest economy just accused the country’s richest billionaire of engaging in blatant accounting fraud.More
Companies in UK are Hitting the Wall at Fastest Rate Since Global Financial Crisis
As the price of everything, including debt, continues to soar, life is getting harder and harder for the UK’s heavily indebted businesses. More
Is the Unstoppable Force of Mexico’s GMO Ban About to Meet the Unmovable Object of US Big Ag Lobbies?
Mexico is not only dangerously dependent on US growers for its most important staple crop; it is growing more and more dependent by the year. Mexico’s government wants to reverse this dynamic, but the US has other ideas.More
That Didn’t Take Long: Latin American Governments Refuse to Send Weapons, Russian or Otherwise, to Ukraine
Washington, Kiev and the EU have been furiously lobbying Latin American governments to provide weaponry to Ukraine, but LatAm governments still want no part in this war. More
USAID Quietly Unveils Plans to Export Ukraine’s Digital Governance Model Around the World
Ukraine’s wholesale digitaization of government services predates the war, but in the eternal spirit of never letting a good crisis go to waste and with the financial support of USAID and the EU, it has been significantly expanded since.More
Monroe Doctrine Redux: US Military Trying to “Box Out” China and Russia from Strategic Resources in Latin America
“In a lot of our countries in this region, [the PRC] is the number one trade partner, with the United States number two in most cases”: General Laura Richardson, USSOUTHCOM.More
British NGO Index on Censorship Just Named Mexico’s President AMLO “Tyrant of the Year 2022”
AMLO may seem like a curious choice for “Tyrant of the Year,” especially given the fierce competition for the title, but once you see who leads and finances the NGO in question, it all makes a bit more sense. More
Physical Wallets are Shrinking in Relevance in UK, Claims Survey Commissioned by Mastercard
A convenient finding given Mastercard is in the process of piloting a biometric-authenticated payments system in the UK, after first testing the system in Brazil, the Middle East and Asia. More
Another Supply Chain Finance-Enabled Crisis Hits, This Time in Brazil
“Discovery” of multi-billion dollar “inconsistencies” on Brazilian retail giant’s balance sheet is a timely reminder of the risks posed by supply chain finance, especially in a heavily weakened business environment such as today.More
Nick Corbishley 