Latin Traders

Crystal Ball

2007-08-16T08:47:00.001-05:00

Wall Street Journal today...Dear Investors, We're...Hedge Funds StrainTo Find Words to Say'Sorry' for Your LossesBy GREGORY ZUCKERMANAugust 16, 2007; Page C1Running a hedge fund means never having to say you're sorry, at least not in so many words.That isn't to say some hedge-fund managers don't have a lot to feel bad about. In the past few weeks, some of the biggest names in hedge-fund land --

Crystal Ball

2007-07-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

Fortune editorial online todayThe greatest economic boom everA lot could go wrong. And it may not feel like a day at the beach to most Americans. But for your average globetrotting Fortune 500 CEO, right now is about as good as it gets, says Fortune's Rik Kirkland.FORTUNE MagazineBy Rik Kirkland, FortuneJuly 12 2007: 9:46 AM EDT(Fortune Magazine) -- Just how red-hot is the current worldwide

And another...

2007-06-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

"Silicon" Jack Epstein joins the 2006 ASBPE honorees for his column work last year. It's getting to be a habit.Congratulations Jack! We're now at 26 awards in six years.

TABPI Honorable Mention

2007-06-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Latin Trade has won an Honorable Mention in Best Single Issue Category from the Trade, Association and Business Publications International (www.tabpi.org). The honor is for our July 2006 Top 500 companies issue.This news brings our awards count to 25 awards in six years. Congratulations to all of the editorial, production and design staff for their hard work on the issue, as well as to our

Latin Trade wins big!

2007-06-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

I am extremely pleased to announce three new awards this morning from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. This news brings our award count to 24 awards over the past six years.Top of the list is Bryan Cooper, who has won our first *national* awards recognition in the competition. He is recognized as a finalist in the "Opening Page/Spread" category for the Mexico feature in LT

Crystal Ball

2007-05-24T13:23:00.001-05:00

New York Times today...Graft Mars the Recruitment of Mexican Guest WorkersBy ELISABETH MALKINPublished: May 24, 2007TAMPAMOLÓN CORONA, Mexico — Cástulo Benavides, a union organizer, came to this forgotten mountain town to tell its men how to get legal jobs in the tobacco fields of North Carolina.But this year he introduced them to a change in a longstanding practice: the men will not have to pay

Crystal Ball

2007-05-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

New York Times today...May 17, 2007Clash of Hope and Fear as Venezuela Seizes LandBy SIMON ROMEROURACHICHE, Venezuela — The squatters arrive before dawn with machetes and rifles, surround the well-ordered rows of sugar cane and threaten to kill anyone who interferes. Then they light a match to the crops and declare the land their own.For centuries, much of Venezuela’s rich farmland has been in

Crystal Ball

2007-05-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

Financial Times today...Biofuels industry courts private investorsBy Jude Webber in Buenos AiresPublished: May 15 2007 20:38 | Last updated: May 15 2007 20:38As Latin America’s traditional producers of cereals, oils and sugar jump on the biofuels bandwagon, private investors are increasingly being courted to finance a host of new ethanol and biodiesel ventures.Up to $4bn (€3bn, £2bn) will be

Crystal Ball

2007-05-10T14:12:00.000-05:00

LA Times today...Argentina's Ushuaia rides eco-tourism waveThe Tierra del Fuego city, which bills itself as the End of the World, cashes in as thousands flock to its relatively untouched terrain.By Patrick J. McDonnell, Times Staff WriterUshuaia, Argentina — This is a place where "The End of the World" sells. The theme is celebrated in T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs and posters. You can't

Crystal Ball

2007-05-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

Financial Times today... FT REPORT - ENERGY IN THE AMERICAS: 'Delicious dream' in declineIn 1976, the future of Pemex, Mexico's state-owned oil monopoly, looked as bright as it ever had.The discovery of Cantarell, a huge oil complex located in the Gulf of Mexico, assured abundant supplies of crude for the foreseeable future and cemented the country's place as one of the world's most formidable

Welcome Marisol Rueda

2007-05-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

I'm very pleased to announce that Marisol Rueda, our Mexico Correspondent for several years, will be the Spanish Editor of Latin Trade beginning on June 1.Santiago Fittipaldi, the current Spanish Editor, will remain at Latin Trade, taking charge of developing our high-net worth magazine LT Elite, as well as contributing from time to time to Latin Trade.Marisol has done exemplary work as a

Looking for stock tips?

2007-03-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

Read Latin Trade!March 29, 2007, 10:08AMShares of Brazilian Carrier Gol SurgeBy STAN CHOE AP Business WriterNEW YORK — Shares of Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes surged Thursday, after the company agreed to buy struggling rival Varig for $275 million in cash and stock. [...] Gol, the country's No. 2 carrier, said the deal to acquire Varig, Brazil's former flagship carrier,

Adese and Rueda, the dream team

2007-03-27T21:21:00.001-05:00

CNNMoney today... good story, nice and clear, quotes a couple of analysts...Wal-Mart's plan to conquer the worldFailure in Germany, South Korea show the retail powerhouse is fallible. But as its home market shrinks, Wal-Mart has no choice but to find success overseas.By Parija B. Kavilanz, CNNMoney.com senior writerMarch 27 2007: 5:01 PM EDTNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Despite Wal-Mart's wobbly

Crystal Ball

2007-03-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

El Mercurio today...Inauguran red WiMax para Santiago y quince ciudades del paísMaría Pastora Sandoval, El Mercurio OnlineSANTIAGO.- Esta mañana se dio inicio a las operaciones de la red WiMax de Telmex, que cubre a Santiago y quince ciudades del país, y que permite entregar servicios de conectividad inalámbricos de Internet y telefonía.La inauguración, realizada en la plaza Gabriela Mistral de

Crystal Ball

2007-03-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

Bloomberg today...Reserves plummet, leaving Pemex 'critical'THOMAS BLACKBloomberg NewsPetroleos Mexicanos, the third-biggest oil supplier to the United States, said its reserves of oil and natural gas have dropped by half since 2002 because of a lack of investment, leaving the company in a "critical" situation.Jesus Reyes Heroles, the chief executive officer of Pemex, said yesterday the Mexican

Latin Trade March issue is out

2007-03-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

Click here to see the magazine's digital version.

Carlos Adese and Marisol Rueda, superstars

2007-03-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

Wall Street Journal, page 1, today...In Mexico, Wal-Mart Is Defying Its CriticsLow Prices Boost Its Sales and Popularity In Developing MarketsBy JOHN LYONSMarch 5, 2007; Page A1JUCHITÁN, Mexico -- For as long as anyone can remember, shopping for many items in this Zapotec Indian town meant lousy selection and high prices. Most families live on less than $4,000 a year. Little wonder that this

February edition out!

2007-02-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

See it at the Texterity site. Click "retry" a couple of times if your machine tells you to do something with cookies.

Recent issues

2007-02-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

We've been plenty busy here, churning out issues and keeping our heads down, so it's about time I pointed out some "wins" and great work from staff and corries.If you missed it, do look at Spanish Editor Santiago Fittipaldi's interview with OAS head José Miguel Insulza. For a guy with every ax in the world to grind (Pinochet threw him in jail, tortued and killed his friends), and heading a

Bloggers?

2007-01-24T16:14:00.000-05:00

Do any of you, regular correspondents are not, blog? About what? Where?I'd like to see your efforts and get an understanding of how our writers are using blogging tools on the Web. Any language, any topic. Send me links here.Thanks.

Top 500 coming

2007-01-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

It seems like a million years away, but our annual Top 500 companies issue is just around the corner. If you would like to pitch a company, please talk to an editor soon about prospects. If you are not sure where to start, here's last year's list in PDF format for your printing and viewing pleasure.My advice? Start with your country and potential targets. Work up a list of five or maybe 10 you

January edition out

2007-01-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

See the digital magazine here. You will likely need to set your computers privacy settings to allow cookies from texterity.com

Seeking/buscando Spanish editor

2007-01-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

Latin Trade, the leading pan-regional business magazine covering Latin America business, is seeking a Spanish-language editor. The monthly title is written, edited and published in English, Spanish and Portuguese and distributed principally in Latin America, in a digital edition via e-mail, and via www.latintrade.com. The Spanish editor should be an experienced newsperson with five or more

How to get paid

2007-01-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

Good news is, about 95% of the time your payments leave here, arrive there and no problems.But if you haven' t been paid, here's a few of the likely reasons, in my experience...1) You haven't invoiced. We do this electronically. Go to this link and follow the instructions. Invoice numbers are crucial.2) You moved and didn't tell us. This happens a lot. Every time you invoice online, you have a

Gainfully employed former journalist

2006-12-22T12:31:00.000-05:00

News from Matthew Estévez, former Latin Trade staff writer. He's done with law school (University of Miami) and got a job.Matt says:We're going to be neighbors again! I just landed a job in the Grove. I start Jan. 2. I'll put together that final trade talk next week. Now I can buy you lunch sometime! www.elderlewis.com - MattCongratulations, Matt.

More crystal ball...

2006-12-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

LA Times today...Bolivia enacts broad land-reform billConservatives fear the leftist president is headed toward authoritarian rule.By Patrick J. McDonnell, Times Staff WriterNovember 30, 2006LA PAZ, BOLIVIA — Allies of President Evo Morales on Wednesday celebrated the surprising passage of an ambitious agrarian reform bill, a cornerstone of Morales' provocative leftist agenda."The time of the

Crystal ball

2006-10-31T10:49:00.000-05:00

Latin Trade, May 2005...Interview with Banco Bradesco President Márcio Cypriano by Brazil Editor Carlos Adese Presidential elections are coming in 2006. Do you fear any negative effects in the economy? I don't believe that anything very different will happen in 2006. I have no doubt that, the way things are, Lula's government will be easily re-elected. I think we will have [after the

News from interns

2006-10-04T12:17:00.000-05:00

Bénédicte Constans, our intern from Paris, is back in the USA. She's at the French Trade Mission in Chicago, working as an attachée commerciale, a trade advisor. She says hi to everyone at Latin Trade.

News from interns

2006-10-03T12:52:00.000-05:00

Rachel Hatzipanagos turned up at the National Writers' Workshop in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend. She's interning at the Orlando Sun-Sentinel while finishing her studies at the University of Central Florida.Soon she'll be running the Washington Post, I'm sure.

What we need most

2006-10-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

There will be some immediate changes here in terms of the arrangement of the magazine, which will affect how your ideas are received and, very likely, whether or not you are assigned.Remember, the key is for your story to be about crossing borders -- be it people, money, ideas, practices, problems -- and to be relevant to any reader in the Americas. This is best done by talking about how things

News from interns

2006-09-18T10:11:00.000-05:00

We're now into year four or so of what started as an experiment. As a small company, offering internships -- even an unpaid one -- is a risk. The talent coming out of j-schools is a mixed bag and, well, we've got enough to do just keeping up with our own work.Every once in a while, though, it's well worth the effort. A recent intern, Alex Ragir, writes:Hello Latin Traders,I have some great news

Gassin'

2006-09-12T18:45:00.000-05:00

Bloomberg today...By Jeb Blount Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian ethanol exports may grow "exponentially'' on demand from Japan should the country implement plans to promote blended fuel, said Paulo Roberto Costa, refining chief at Petroleo Brasileiro SA.Latin Trade Europe Correspondent Meghan Sapp, May 2006...Sweet DealBrazilian companies send

If it weren't already clear

2006-09-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

Here's why you can't work for Latin Trade and *any* corporate or government agency. It's all about credibility...From The Miami HeraldAt least 10 South Florida journalists, including three from El Nuevo Herald, received regular payments from the U.S. government for programs on Radio Martí and TV Martí, two broadcasters aimed at undermining the communist government of Fidel Castro. The payments

Slaaaaam dunk!

2006-09-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

National Public Radio this morning...Insulin that's inhaled through the mouth. A drug derived from lizard saliva that could promote weight loss. These are among the treatment advances that hold great promise for the 21 million Americans with diabetes. Coupled with a more familiar doctor's order -- exercise! -- the treatments could help more people avoid the disease's disabling and life-shortening

Back in the saddle

2006-08-24T16:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry to those of you to whom I have yet to respond. I have been out with a family medical leave since Aug. 2. Just getting back now. Short version is, my newborn son Daniel joined us just a tad too early, so we had to spend a good 25 days with him in the neonatal intensive care unit while his lungs finished developing.Exhausting, but the result was well worth it. He is now fat and happy and

In a nutshell

2006-07-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

One of these online writers' services contacted me and asked for some pointers on how NOT to write for Latin Trade. For your perusal, the response:What NOT to say to a Latin Trade editor:"I can get an interview with a financial analyst.""I can get an interview with a professor of mine.""I can get an interview with (fill in the blank)."1) If you haven't begun interviews, you don't have a story yet

...and the hits just keep on comin'

2006-06-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Two more awards this morning. The July 2005 issue, our first Top 500, placed 7th of 25 in the TABPI Best Single Issue category. Our Destinos travel supplement from the fall, Vol. 2 (most of you know it as the fancy vacation edition, with the glossy cover), won Honorable Mention for its cover design. There were north of 800 entries from all over the world this time around, so not bad at all, I'd

Welcome Santiago Fittipaldi

2006-06-15T15:38:00.000-05:00

We have, at last, a new Spanish Editor!A Latin America specialist, Santiago Fittipaldi has been covering Latin American and Caribbean financial and business topics for more than twenty years as a journalist, researcher and analyst. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of LT Elite and LT Destinos magazines, as well as Spanish Editor of LATIN TRADE. Santiago joined LATIN TRADE earlier this year as

Scoop!

2006-06-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

Don't call Latin Trade slow. I won't be hearin' itReuters June 15, 2006...SAO PAULO - Despite rising costs and obstacles for foreign companies looking to enter Brazil's booming sugar and ethanol industry, analysts predicted more multinational would jump aboard after this week's play by Cargill Inc. for a mill in Sao Paulo state. "Purchases are becoming

Need stories...

2006-06-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

Want to pitch Latin Trade? Here's what we'll need in the coming weeks and months:SeptemberFinance issue of the year. If you see a major trend, especially one that is crossing borders, right now is the time to pitch. Our issue will feature the top 100 banks, insurers, brokerages and pension funds. All of these sectors are ripe. Avoid please single-country pitches (Argentine banks and what they

The new LatinTrade.com

2006-06-02T08:50:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have already noticed that there is a new Web site. It's in what they call "soft launch" mode while we work out language and technical details, but this is the replacement site.Lots of interesting new features for our plan going forward, but the most salient aspect for correspondents is likely the fact that you cannot see the content anymore without a $79.95 annual

And the winners (so far) are (drumroll please...)

2006-06-02T08:44:00.000-05:00

Great news! Latin Trade has so far won two ASBPE awards!Jorge Fernando Garretón, Paulo Prada and News Editor Forrest Jones were recognized for "A Royal Mess," the story they collaborated on for the June 2005 issue on how rising mineral and oil prices are causing governments across the region to rewrite their rules on what foreign companies must pay to extract commodities.Jack "Silicon Jack"

Cruise news

2006-05-17T09:14:00.000-05:00

Today's Miami Herald...Carnival plans to cut cruise faresCarnival hopes to stimulate demand by cutting prices for its Caribbean cruises. BY AMY MARTINEZ Concerns about hurricanes and rising prices at the gas pump apparently are keeping many Americans from booking Caribbean cruise vacations. But they may be persuaded to push those concerns aside. Lisa says she's exhausted but thrilled, as is husband Mark.

Pending payments

2005-09-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

If you did work published in any edition in May or June 2005 (or earlier) and have not been paid, please let me know as soon as you can the following and, really, only the following:1) slug (such as "fe mac0505")and2) your invoice numberSend me this data in an e-mail to me and only me at gbrown@latintrade.com and put the wordpagoin the subject line please.If you did work published in July or

Globalization, a definition

2005-08-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

"Nemak, an automotive unit of Mexican industrial conglomerate Alfa, won a contract to produce 330,000 aluminum motor heads a year for Hyundai Kia, a Korean automaker. The automobiles will be built in Slovakia and sold in Europe. Terms were not disclosed." Whatch wanna bet they used parts machined in Turkey, interior fabrics from Honduras and Malaysia, glue and bolts made in USA, that the boss

A slice

2005-08-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

The better stories of late have focused less on the macro (exports are up/down, companies are hot/cold) and more on how markets work. Consider, for instance, the whole idea of test marketing: A company wants to launch a really new product, be it a flavored coffee, a sandwich, a compact car, whatever. So, they often sell it on a limited basis in a large, metro area -- or several -- to see if

August is out!

2005-08-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

The 5,000-foot view on August:C.J. Schexnayder's debut in our pages is a hoot. Peruvian snail herders (wranglers? ranchers?) are out to dethrone the French. A good read, and a good example of the short stories right there under your nose.A classic, well done here, is the big domestic company looking to get bigger. Read up on Ecuador's Pronaca, which seems like a sleepy food company till you find

The taping issue

2005-07-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

For those of you who follow Miami media, the firing of columnist Jim DeFede from The Miami Herald for taping former Miami City Commissioner Art Teele (who committed suicide in the lobby of the newspaper after talking with DeFede by phone) is a shock, but not entirely unpredictable. The same kind of law that makes it illegal for the cops to wiretap your home makes it illegal to record telephone

Interesting feedback

2005-07-27T19:07:00.000-05:00

I talked recently with my brother, an executive at a major software company, and he had this to say about journalists and interviews:1) Decent journalists nearly always get their interviews. Why? Because no one questions executives, particularly corner-office types. Whether they like it or not, high-power execs tend to get surrounded by yes-men and yes-women. Often, a journalist is the only one

Big run

2005-07-24T16:21:00.000-05:00

Reading over the last few handfuls of stories from our corries, I'm struck by the depth and quality of the interviews. We have ministers quoted low in logistics stories, CFOs going on the record and bank heads happy to talk about their view of interest rates and the Central Bank.What's going on? Well, I'll tell you. We've had an amazing run of exclusives in the marquee spots of the magazine, and

Payment policy

2005-07-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

You can read about the actual terms in detail at the link to the right, Accounting, but here is some more general direction:Latin Trade pays 75 days after publication. That is, if your story is published on August 1, then your check should be mailed by October 15.ExamplePublication PaymentJuly 1 Sept. 15Jan. 1 March 15May 1 July 15etc.U.S. mail can take up to

Ahead of the game

2005-07-06T16:18:00.000-05:00

So why bother to interview a little chip company in San Diego? Because are they changing the market, and not everyone is happy about it...Today on siliconvalley.com, part of the San Jose Mercury News:Broadcom has filed another lawsuit against Qualcomm, adding an antitrust complaint to the patent infringement and fair trade charges it's already made against the wireless technology firm. In this

Scoop!

2005-07-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

New York Times yesterday...seems Latin American countries are looking at high commodities prices and trying to get a cut of the cash by raising royalties...July 5, 2005Energy-Rich Nations Are Raising Price of Foreign AdmittanceBy JUAN FOREROLA PAZ, Bolivia - For centuries, this country made it easy for prospectors to mine - from the Spaniards who plundered gold to the tin barons of the 19th

July is out!

2005-06-27T10:46:00.000-05:00

On what will be my fifth anniversary at Latin Trade, we have come full circle in every sense of the phrase. July is likely our largest magazine since 2000, at 106 pages in Spanish, our single largest circulation language. There's a lot to talk about, but for now it's worth pointing out a couple of really decent pieces of business reporting.Mike Kepp got to Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter in his profile

You want timely?

2005-06-10T10:49:00.000-05:00

Writers often complain to us that their ideas don't make sense in our magazine because of the production and distribution lag. If you want to write for a Web site or a newspaper, that's great, but writing for Latin Trade needn't mean coming up with a steady supply of evergreens. Today, the Miami Herald got in a quick phone interview in with former Ecuadoran President Lucio Gutiérrez.It's

An era ends

2005-06-01T11:09:00.000-05:00

Major U.S. daily to stop printing stock tables. Eds say it's easier to go on the Web. What they are not saying is, "Old folks no longer matter" and "paper is too expensive." But that is suddenly obvious when you consider that most investors who actually follow their money --- whatever their age -- are now online.

June is out!

2005-06-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

Our June issue -- a warm-up to the enormous undertaking that has been our first-ever Top 500 Companies issue, in July -- is nonetheless a strong book, with some excellent work worth noting:Jorge Garretón and Paulo Prada teamed up to produce a truly model story on increasing royalties on foreign extraction companies. It started out with Jorge noticing that Chile -- always reticent to tax foreign

Writing around analysts

2005-05-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

One of the bigger problems new writers to Latin Trade face is how to write a story without their standby sources: analysts. I have nothing against these folks personally. (Even the ones who went to jail in the last few years for lying to journalists -- and by extension shareholders -- on a daily basis.) But they don't belong in your story. There are some economics pieces that might call for a

The "Newsweek" problem

2005-05-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

Although I'm not convinced Newsweek was in error, despite their retraction, the problem of anonymous sources -- a longstanding problem at U.S. major media outlets -- has finally caused them some serious headaches.To reiterate, Latin Trade policy is:Sources should be balancedTalk to participants (executives, suppliers, customers, partners, regulators, investors) not observers (academics, pols,

Writing the logistics story

2005-05-16T11:53:00.000-05:00

What could be more boring than a port story?That, unfortunately, is the view most Latin Trade writers seem to take, and it's a bad starting point. Ports, highways and airports are the big story in Latin America, for now and the foreseeable future. Trade is booming, commodities are rocking and the region's economies are increasingly dependent on getting the goods out to sea fast.If you're having

Writing the short story

2005-05-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

A lot of you, for reasons I guess I understand, are shy about writing for our short section, Radar. In practice, a lot of those stories are longer stories that end up being cut down either early in the assignment process or later simply because the final version doesn't have enough weight to justify a full page.That's too bad, because some of our best stories are shorts born that way and never

Virtual insanity

2005-05-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, it was a lot to take on the challenge of adding three editors and probably quintupling the size of our roster of regular writers, and the toll it has taken on me has been almost unbearable on the accounting side.So, solution time. Please cease e-mailing invoices to me. You can if you really, really want to, but they won't matter. What does matter is that you enter the invoice data into our

Writing the finance story

2005-05-12T08:11:00.000-05:00

Our news editor, Forrest Jones, has an MBA. That doesn't mean you couldn't have written his excellent treatment of the effect U.S. accounting regulations are having on Latin American companies.How did he tackle something as complex as Sarbanes-Oxley? By talking to the right sources. He walked through the TV Azteca case, which was the genesis of the idea. Got a no comment from Azteca's mouthpiece

Welcome intern Rachel Hatzipanagos

2005-05-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

Rachel Hatzipanagos (e-mail active as of Wednesday, tomorrow) joins us from the University of Central Florida, where she is journalism major and English lit minor expecting to graduate in 2007. Of Honduran and Greek heritage, she has lived in London and Kuwait. She'll be here all summer as a full-time intern in editorial.