Ever since May 1st, 2006, Bolivia has been profiting from the nationalization of the gas industry. Before 2006, the gas industry was controlled by the private companies drilling in Bolivia, and they were receiving 71% of the profit which amounted to USD 832 million.
The economic relations between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) strengthened significantly as the two actors recently established a bilateral forum. This move will have substantial implications for development in Latin America as China has already promised USD 10 billion in credit to CELAC members and a USD 5 billion fund for Chinese-Latin American investments.1
On September 26th, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed into law a new environmental tax on carbon emissions, making Chile the first South American country to enact such legislation. The tax is targeting the country’s power sector, which is dominated by nearly 80 percent by fossil fuels.1 It is aimed at thermal plants with installed capacities of 50 megawatts or more. Plants of this size will be charged USD $5 per ton of CO2 released, exempting smaller plants and those fueled by biomass.1
Lo mejor de un banco central independiente es que maximiza las chances de que la política monetaria logre estabilidad, no sólo en la inflación, sino también en el crecimiento. Es un rol a primera vista poco sexy, pero uno de los más genuinamente progresistas al que puede aspirar la política pública.
"Gobierno o individuo que entrega los recursos naturales a empresas extranjeras, traiciona a la patria." Lázaro Cárdenas, Presidente de México (1934-1940)
