One of my core Latin American views for some time now has been that political risk will be a key determinant of which countries out- and underperform over the medium term. In this respect, the landslide victory for Juan Manuel Santos in the second round of Colombia’s presidential election on Sunday represents a strong positive… [Read more]
There is no question that China’s economy is booming, with growth spiking to 11.9% in the first quarter. The world’s largest country (by population) appears to have swept off the global recession with aplomb and many an analyst are counting on Chinese demand to drive a new global growth cycle. But is this growth sustainable… [Read more]
The shift in economic power from west to east and from north to south is ongoing. The importance that Africa will play in this given its natural endowments and growing domestic consumer markets means that the need for a regional financial and services centre has arisen. Risk Watchdog attended a conference in March, where among… [Read more]
With Libyan leader Muammar al Qadhafi stepping up his anti-Western rhetoric, there are growing fears that what Mark Mobius recently called ‘the ideal frontier market’ is turning its back on the reformist experiment it has been pursuing for the last few years. Mark Schaltuper speaks to Liz Martins, Head of Middle East and North Africa… [Read more]
Not content with taking on the fearsome drug cartels, President Felipe Calderón has now decided he wants to do battle with another source of political influence in Mexico, namely the country’s trade unions. And it is not just any union which he has chosen to confront, but one of Mexico’s oldest and most powerful, the… [Read more]
