TLA TIMES | February 09, 2018
A Snapshot of LatinAmerican News
SNAPSHOT
Source: data.worldbank.org
Figures from Feb. 09 Source: www.xe.com
FUN IN THE SUN
CHILE
Telsa in talks with Chilean company for lithium hydroxide.
Telsa needs lithium hydroxide for the batteries in its cars, and while the main supplier is in Nevada, Quartz Media reports that the carmaker is talking to a mining company in Chile. Telsa wants to invest in a processing plant with Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile. Telsa already owns a stake in an Argentinan mining company. The price of lithium has risen $200 percent in the past five years. Details
COLOMBIA
Chiquita settles with families of American terrorist victims.
Swiss-based Banana giant Chiquita agreed to a settlement with the families of six Americans who were kidnapped and killed by FARC terrorist in the 1990s, Law.com reports in its Daily Business Review. The deal was reached right before jury selection was set to begin in a Florida court. The families contended that Chiquita paid FARC $200,000 and thus was supporting the group and was responsible for the deaths. Chiquita claimed it was only trying to protect its employees. Terms of the suit were not announced. Details
BRAZIL
Brazil regulators OK sale of Monsanto to Bayer AG.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Cade, which enforces antitrust regulations in Brazil, approved Bayer AG’s acquisition of agricultural biology company Monsanto. Brazil was seen as a major hurdle for the deal, because the South American nation produces many agricultural commodities. The companies agreed to Bayer’s $60 billion purchase in September 2016. They had hoped the deal would be completed by the end of 2018. European Union and United States authorities still must sign off the purchase. Details
MEXICO
Illegal taps into Mexican pipelines increase in 2017.
The Japan Times reports that the foreign ministers to Japan and Mexico have pledged to get the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement rolling as soon as possible. The free trade deal also includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The pact was reworked after it lost political support in the United States during the 2016 presidential race. Mexico became the first country to make internal changes needed to ratify the pact, the Times reports. Details