Category: Regions

French cement-producer Lafarge, the largest in the world, plans to invest up to $12 million in its production in Ecuador over the next three years. Lafarge’s subsidiary in the Andean country, Cemento Selva Alegre, aims to use the investment to increase annual output from around 667,000 tonnes to 1 million tonnes and market share from 18% up to 20%. The local market in Ecuador is currently dominated by the world’s number two cement producer, Swiss-owned Holcim, which has 60% of the market.

President elect of Bolivia, Evo Morales, who is currently on a tour to meet world leaders, is considering extending his travels to visit India and possibly Iran before moving on to South Africa. Morales met Chinese dignitaries on Monday and spoke of his desire to see China invest in Bolivia’s energy industry. He has already met with European leaders to discuss their countries’ continued involvement. Morales began his international journey in Cuba on 31 December and is due to visit Argentina on 17 January before returning home.

Evo Morales, Bolivian president-elect, said he will stop oil companies’ “illegal” operations and promises to wage the economic equivalent of guerrilla warfare to eliminate poverty. “The only difference between Che Guevara and me is that he used arms,” Morales said in Madrid. “We don’t want to change things with bullets, but with votes.” He said, “We will be radical with oil companies that don’t obey Bolivian law, that don’t pay taxes and are smugglers,” he said.

Spain’s Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told Evo Morales, president-elect of Bolivia, he would cancel part of a $120 million Spanish loan to Bolivia to support education initiatives. Morales visited Madrid ahead of his swearing-in scheduled for January 22. Morales said, “Bolivia needs partners and private, foreign companies but not owners.” He added that, “We will nationalize but this doesn’t mean confiscation.” Morales goes on to visit Belgium, France, South Africa, China and Brazil.

Evo Morales, Bolivia’s president-elect, met with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela Tuesday in Caracas in their first meeting since his landslide election victory last month. Morales promised to join Chávez, a close supporter, in his “anti-neoliberal and anti-imperialist struggle.” He said, “This is a century for the people, not the empire. This movement isn’t just in Bolivia. With Fidel in Cuba and Hugo in Venezuela, we continue to add victories for left-wing parties.” Morales arrived in Venezuela from Havana where visited Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Morales is going on to Europe to meet with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, President Jacques Chirac of France and EU officials in Brussels. Morales will go on to South Africa to visit Nelson Mandela, winding up his tour in Beijing with a meeting with President Hu Jintao. Morales is to meet Brazil’s President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on January 13.