Posted inDaily Brief

Carlos Guimarães, Private Sector Coordinator, Inter-American Development Bank and Luis Videgaray, Director, Protego Asesores

are confirmed as panelists at LatinFinance’s Inaugural Cumbre Financiera Mexicana, July 13-14, in Mexico City. Debate and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Mexico’s dynamic financial markets at this invitation-only event. View the full agenda and apply for an invitation at www.latinfinance.com/mexicana

Posted inDaily Brief

Pemex Suspends Contracts

Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico’s state-run oil company, has suspended drilling contracts with private companies at the request of a congressional auditor. Pemex Chief Financial Officer Juan Jose Suarez said the auditor requested the contracts be suspended until Congress can pass legislation specifically allowing such deals.

Posted inDaily Brief

Ecuador Plans Swap

Ecuador plans to swap bonds maturing in a year or less for new securities due in 2012 and may seek to renegotiate all its debt to cut borrowing costs. Standard & Poor’s yesterday reduced Ecuador’s credit rating one level to CCC+, the lowest in South America, on concern the country may have difficulty refinancing domestic debt and luring international investors. More than $800 million of Ecuador’s sovereign debt comes due this year.

Posted inDaily Brief

Dr. Gerardo Rodríguez Regordosa, Director of Public Credit, Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit and Victor Herrera, Managing Director, Standard & Poor’s

are confirmed as panelists at LatinFinance’s Inaugural Cumbre Financiera Mexicana, July 13-14, in Mexico City. Debate and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Mexico’s dynamic financial markets at this invitation-only event. View the full agenda and apply for an invitation at www.latinfinance.com/mexicana

Posted inDaily Brief

Mexico: Retail Sales Rise

Mexican retail sales rose unexpectedly to 8.9 percent year-on-year in April, more than double the 4.4 percent rise in March. Mexico’s central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate 12 of the last 15 months to 9.75 percent. The country’s inflation rate was 3.4 percent in May, the lowest rate since the bank began calculating the index in 1983.

Posted inDaily Brief

Ecuador’s Rating Cut

Standard & Poor’s cut Ecuador’s credit rating was cut one level to CCC+, or seven levels below investment grade. S&P expressed concern the government’s plans to increase spending will put at risk its ability to cover debt payments. Ecuador defaulted on $6.5 billion of debt in 1999.

Posted inDaily Brief

John McCarthy, CEO of FONATUR and William Pingleton, Managing Director – Americas, Franklin Templeton International

are confirmed as panelists at LatinFinance’s Inaugural Cumbre Financiera Mexicana, July 13-14, in Mexico City. Debate and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Mexico’s dynamic financial markets at this invitation-only event. View the full agenda and apply for an invitation at www.latinfinance.com/mexicana.

Posted inDaily Brief

Kuczynski Eyes IADB Post

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Peru’s Economic Minister, threw his hat in the ring to take over the top spot at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) when its current president, Enrique Iglesias, steps down in September. Iglesias has occupied the position for 17 years. Peru’s President Alejandro Toledo said Kuczynski would not immediately resign his post.

Posted inDaily Brief

Genocide Charges Allowed

Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled 3 to 2 that prosecutors can bring genocide charges against former President Luis Echeverria related to a 1971 massacre of student activists. The court said the statute of limitations on the alleged crime haven’t expired, overturning a federal judge’s ruling year that blocked prosecutors from charging Echeverria and his interior minister, Mario Moya. The court said the 30-year time limit on genocide charges began counting as of December 1, 1976 when Echeverria and Moya left office.

Gift this article