Editor profile
Editor, Infrastructure & Logistics
Sofia Mendez monitors large-scale infrastructure projects and logistics networks across the continent. She reports on port developments and the modernization of regional transport corridors.
sofia.mendez@latamreport.orgTaking advantage of SADC Industrialization Week, this paper examines the structural opportunities facing Latin America in the fields of critical minerals, infrastructure, and agricultural processing, and proposes new pathways for regional industrialization.
IDC predicts that if the Middle East conflict ends within 3 months, global IT spending growth will slow from 10% to 9% in 2026. Energy price volatility, supply chain disruptions, and accelerated sovereign digital infrastructure will ripple into Latin America, where regional digital transformation faces cost pressures. However, oil-exporting countries may benefit, and cloud service resilience has become a new focus.
A Deloitte report shows that China's share of Latin American exports rose from 3% in 2005 to 13% in 2024, while the United States fell to 44%. Resource dividends coexist with the risk of over-reliance on a single market, and U.S. tariffs are forcing regional diversification.
From Mercado Libre to Nubank, Latin American tech companies are growing rapidly, yet they still rely on the infrastructure of tech giants in the United States and China. This article reveals how, under the global technology oligopoly landscape, the structural dependency of Latin America's digital economy has taken shape, and the profound implications this holds for future development.
The global private equity market is projected to reach $20.2 trillion by 2034, with institutional capital accelerating its flow into emerging markets. This article interprets this wave of capital from a Latin American perspective, analyzing how resources, digitalization, and infrastructure are shaping the region's new growth logic.
Brazilian financial infrastructure unicorn QI Tech has partnered with Bettr, a subsidiary of Ant International, to launch embedded credit products for e-commerce sellers and consumers. This event marks a new phase in Latin America's digital finance: the combination of open finance, real-time payments, and cross-border technology is reshaping the regional consumer credit landscape.
The Venezuela La Guaira earthquake exposed the vulnerability of the region's tourism industry amid political turmoil and economic crisis, reflecting the helplessness of Latin American countries' single economic structure dependent on natural resources in the face of disaster.
Brazil's PNM 2050 plan aims to reduce fertilizer import dependence from 87.3% to 34.9%, reshaping Latin America's agriculture and mining landscape.
The severe earthquake in Venezuela in July 2026 caused nearly 3,000 deaths, and the government's inadequate response sparked strong public dissatisfaction. This event is not only a humanitarian tragedy but also exposes deep cracks in the governance capacity of Latin American countries, sending a warning signal to the regional investment environment and long-term development prospects.
The transformer manufacturing industry in Latin America is entering a new growth cycle, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 4-6% from 2026 to 2035. Grid modernization, renewable energy expansion, and replacement of aging equipment are the core drivers. Brazil and Mexico, as manufacturing hubs, face challenges such as import dependence, material cost volatility, and regulatory fragmentation. Digital monitoring, localized assembly, and long-term agreements are reshaping the competitive landscape. This article analyzes the impact of regional market changes on investors, industry, and trade patterns.
Analyze the potential impact of large-scale U.S. railway projects on Latin American resource exports and infrastructure cooperation.
With election results in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil leaning toward the right, the protection of the Amazon rainforest faces new challenges. This article analyzes how regional political shifts affect resource extraction, illegal mining, and international climate commitments, and explores the long-term balance between economy and ecology.
As the "Bukele model" of El Salvador is replicated in multiple countries, far-right forces in Latin America are rapidly rising under the pretext of combating crime. This political shift is reshaping the regional economic landscape: short-term improvements in security may attract investment, but long-term rule-of-law risks and the uncertainties of populist policies warrant caution.
Peru's central bank raises 2026 economic growth forecast despite El Niño threat. This article analyzes the sources of Peru's economic resilience, mining and infrastructure drivers, regional comparisons, and investment insights.
U.S. and Mexican officials are set to hold consultations on agricultural and energy issues, as Trump questions the USMCA trade agreement. This development not only threatens Mexico's trade stability but could also trigger a deep restructuring of Latin America's regional supply chains. This article analyzes how the rise of protectionism is reshaping Latin America's economic landscape from four dimensions—national, industrial, investment, and regional coordination—and explores which countries and industries will benefit or suffer as a result.
The vote margin in Peru's presidential runoff is extremely narrow, increasing the risk of political deadlock. This article analyzes the potential impact of election uncertainty on Peru's copper mining industry, foreign investor confidence, and the regional economic landscape, and looks ahead to Latin American resource investment trends over the next five years.
This article analyzes how Latvia has transformed from a post-Soviet offshore banking center into a modern digital economy centered on fintech and digital services, and explores its unique positioning in the competition within the Baltic region.
WTTC 2026 forecasts show that Latin America’s tourism growth rate will surpass the global average, with even stronger growth in international visitor spending. This article analyzes from the perspectives of countries, industries, trade, and investment why tourism is becoming a new growth engine for Latin America, and how it will in turn drive upgrades in transportation, hotels, and regional infrastructure.
The political shift to the right in many Latin American countries is not merely a change in election results; it also reflects a regional realignment jointly driven by security, immigration, low economic growth, and the restructuring of relations with China and the United States. The elections in Peru and Colombia will test whether this trend continues to spread and affect expectations for mining, investment, and trade.
AI is becoming a stress test for impact investing, and it may also create a window of opportunity for the revaluation of emerging market assets. For Latin America, this means capital is more likely to flow toward companies that can improve efficiency, financial inclusion, and the energy transition, rather than simply chasing technology buzzwords.