How long can Venezuela avoid default?
South America’s insolvent left-wing champion has been the star of sovereign-bond markets
THE mere mention of Venezuela should make most investors shudder. Its president, Nicolás Maduro, says that capitalism has “destroyed the planet” and vows to build a socialist Utopia. The country’s economic output has shrunk by more than a third since 2014, and it is suffering from dire shortages of food and medicine.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Staying afloat, somehow”
From the November 4th 2017 edition
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Is Uruguay too stable for its own good?
The new president must deal with serious problems with growth, education and crime
Bolsonaro’s bid to regain Brazil’s presidency may end in prison
Brazilian police have accused some of his backers of involvement not just in a coup, but in an assassination plot
The mafia’s latest bonanza: salmon heists
Fish farming is big business in Chile. Stealing fish is, too
Parlacen, a bizarre parliament, is a refuge for bent politicians
A seat in the Central American body offers immunity from prosecution
Brazil courts China as its Musk feud erupts again
Xi Jinping, China’s leader, spies a chance to draw Brazil closer
Brazil’s gangsters have been getting into politics
They want friendly officials to help them launder money