September 1, 2005 www.LatinEPR.com LatinEPR News Wire
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Dear Reader,
We at LatinEPR.com would like to express our deepest sympathy for the tragic loss suffered by the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
From its inception, this newsletter was designed to serve as an informative tool for the travel professional interested in the region of Latin America. Each month it features news about media, travel, culture, economics, and politics, because it hopes to accomplish in a small way what tourism and travel achieve on such a large scale.
Travel broadens horizons, educates, opens dialogue, as well as minds, and gives a sense of place. Those lessons are sometime harsh realities. Travel professionals, in particular, must face these in their work every day.
But there is nothing so sad as to be introduced to a new part of the world by way of human tragedy. Whether it be through news reports and images of war or natural disaster or any other kind of strife. How strange that we should be afforded so many opportunities these days, by internet and other technological innovations, to witness suffering for the first time in corners of the world hitherto unknown to us.
And so, as we often urge you to take notice of the events in Latin America, let’s turn our attention and our thoughts back home to the thousands of victims in distress, knowing that somewhere in a far off country a person is seeing New Orleans for the very first time.
Sincerely,
Carola Perla, Editor
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COMMUNICATIONS/MEDIA
Google Targets Latin Audience
Univision Online, Inc., the interactive division of Univision Communications Inc. has entered into multi-year partnership with Google Inc, announced the latter in a recent press release. The partnership combines the power of the most visited Spanish-language website with an industry leader in search technology and advertising. "As the most-visited Spanish-language website, Univision.com is excited to work with Google to bring the benefits of more targeted search capabilities to our users," said Javier Saralegui, President, Univision Online. "In addition, for those consumer companies not yet targeting Hispanics online, this partnership should provide additional impetus for them to develop websites in Spanish." According to Tim Armstrong, Vice President of Advertising Sales for Google, Inc., the agreement provides advertisers with a new way of reaching the growing Hispanic audience. But Google, Inc. is also looking beyond the U.S. Hispanic market to Latin America. One moth after opening sales offices in Brazil, the company has bought Brazilian firm, Akwan Information Technologies, which it will use to set up a research and development center for the entire region.
Televisa and EMI Join Forces
EMI, the world's largest independent music company, and Grupo Televisa, the world's largest Spanish-language media company, recently announced that they are combining their respective strengths in music, distribution and media to enter into a major new partnership, which will include the formation of a new joint venture record company in Mexico (“Televisa EMI Music”), and Televisa’s participation in EMI's US Latin operations, effective 1 September (“EMI Televisa Music”). EMI Music Chairman & CEO Alain Levy said: "Developing local artists and music from all regions is central to EMI Music's strategy. By partnering with the largest media company in the Latin market, we will further develop our already strong artist base, drive growth and generate significant new revenue streams in our Latin American and US Latin businesses.” Televisa and EMI Music enter this deal as EMI demonstrated significantly improved performance in the Latin region, increasing its overall revenues by 9 percent and growing its market share from 12.3 percent to 15.6 percent in its fiscal year ‘04/’05. Indeed, according to the IFPI, the overall Latin American music market valued at more than US$903 million in 2004, is coming off two consecutive years of growth, with the trend expected to continue this year. In addition, according to the RIAA, Latin music in the U.S. also surged in 2004 with total Latin Music shipments to U.S. retail increasing by 25.6% -- 48.5 million units in 2004 compared to 38.6 million the year prior; representing a total dollar value of US$650M.
U.S. Hispanic Newspapers Booming
With technology, speed, and practicality on their side, online publications have begun posing a real threat to print news in recent years. But the trend which is seeing English-language newspapers fall victim to the internet, does not seem to be catching on with their Spanish-language counterparts. In fact, Hispanic publications are on the rise. In the last couple of decades, U.S. Hispanic newspapers have grown to 700, targeting the now 41.3 million Hispanics living in the United States. The increasingly formidable Hispanic population represents US$700 billion in annual purchasing power. Yet despite comprising one the most important markets, English-language news sources have failed to address the U.S. Hispanic audience or their interests. Latin immigrants in particular retain very close ties to their countries of origin, evident by the fact that they place 73% more international calls than any other ethnic group in the U.S. Furthermore, a Pew Hispanic Center study found that 68% of U.S. Hispanics prefer to read news in a Spanish or bilingual format, statistic of which Hispanic publications have been quick to take advantage. According to Advertising Age Magazine, annual profits for the Hispanic print media this year are expected to top US$3.5 billion. Miami’s El Nuevo Herald is currently the most profitable newspaper, followed by Los Angeles’ La Opinion, and El Diario/La Prensa of New York.
DR well connected
A Gallup poll on the use of communications
media in the DR shows that 94.7% of Dominican homes have televisions and
63.4% of the population uses mobile phones. Mobiles are the most common
method of communication in the country. The report, which appears in
Listin Diario, states that 77.2% of Dominicans have access to radio and
59.6% have a residential telephone line. The survey's sample was 1,200
persons residing in the country's 10 main provinces. The Internet does
not yet play a major role in communication as only 8% of the population
has access to it. The most common uses of the Internet are the search
for information and communications. Another important finding by the
survey is that 68.1% of the population reads the newspapers out of which
47% are occasional readers. Only 10% are subscribed to a newspaper and
46.3% have cable TV.
Grupo Editorial Expansion Announces Acquisition by Time, Inc.
This month, Time, Inc. announced its acquisition of Grupo Editorial Expansion, the premier publisher of high-end consumer and business magazines in Mexico. According to Time, Inc., it was the combination of a robust and substantial economy – the world’s 12th largest – and a rapidly emerging, well-educated middle class that made Mexico an attractive, vibrant, and fast-growing magazine market. GEE’s portfolio includes Expansion, Quien, the Mexicana in-flight magazine, Vuelo, and Audi Magazine.
LATIN AMERICAN TRAVEL AND TOURISM STATS AND NEWS BRIEFS
Work Begins on Peru-Brazil Transcontinental Highway
Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo signed contracts on August 4, in Lima for the construction of a highway that will extend more than 2,600 kilometers from Peru's Pacific coast across Bolivia into southwestern Brazil and the Atlantic. The highway will be one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken under the South American Regional Infrastructure Integration Initiative (IIRSA) and will require an investment of over US$ 1.1 billion, which Peru's political opposition claims is excessive. But Economy Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski confirmed the significance of the project, which acknowledges that "the south of the country" is the region that experienced the least growth over the past decade. "Today, we're drafting the first page in the history of six million Peruvians in the south of the country" Toledo said at the signing ceremony at the presidential palace (Newsroom).
Puerto Galvan Port Terminal Set to Open September 1 – Argentina
A new terminal will finally be opened at Argentina's Puerto Galván in September after four years of construction. The multipurpose pier is set to be opened September 1, a CGPBB port authority official confirmed. Construction of the new terminal was started in 2001, but was interrupted by the economic crisis later that year. The works cost a total of US$11mn and were financed with the CGPBB’s own resources (Business News Americas).
AeroRepublica Flies International
Colombian airline AeroRepublica will launch new international flight itineraries this year, after twelve years of domestic service. The airline plans seven flights a week to Panama, departing from Medellin, Cali, and the island of San Andres, and has leased four new aircraft at a cost of US$8 million for this purpose.
Mexican Ecological Park among “Tourism for Tomorrow Awards” Finalists
Mexico’s Xelha Ecological Park finished among the 2005 finalists for the “Global Tourism Business for Tomorrow” Award. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognize and promote the world’s leading examples of responsible tourism development. Given annually by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the awards span four categories: Destination, Conservation, Investor in People, and Global Tourism Business. The three finalists in each category were chosen from among 90 applications from 30 countries. Located in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, Xelha Ecological Park is a natural aquarium with 84 jungle hectares. The park’s philosophy centers on environmental consciousness, education, scientific research, and community involvement.
Montserrat Rises From the Ashes
Eight years after the Soufriere Hills Volcano buried the Montserrat capital of Plymouth and swept away its airport, the small Caribbean island received its very first international flight since 1997. Windward Islands Airline, based in St. Maarten, has begun servicing flights between Montserrat Antigua four times a day. The new airport is located in the island’s northern ‘safe zone’. Hoping to revive tourism, Montserrat authorities are also planning an observatory with escorted tours to the preserved former capital city.
Chavez Gives Land Titles to the Indigenous
Six of Venezuela’s indigenous communities received title to their ancestral lands on Tuesday in a ceremony that Venezuela’s president said reversed centuries of injustice. President Hugo Chavez said he hoped the government would be able to turn over titles to 15 other indigenous communities by the end of the year. An estimated 300,000 Venezuelans belong to 28 indigenous groups, many living in the country’s sparsely populated southeast. In neighboring Colombia, indigenous groups in officially recognized communities can administer justice, receive state funds and have their own government. Brazil has set aside more than 12 % of its territory for indigenous communities, and in Peru various laws declare the rights of indigenous groups to ancestral territory in the Amazon. But problems have arisen in some countries as miners and loggers have moved onto Indian lands. And in various countries, a key debate has revolved around the state’s rights to what lies underground, such as oil and mineral wealth (Associated Press).
Darien Letters on Loan to Panama
Recently uncovered documents relating to the famous “Darien Venture”, a failed attempt to create a wealthy Scottish empire in the Panamanian jungle, are being sent to Panama for an exhibition. The 17th century scheme cost 2,000 lives, lost about half of the country's wealth and is said to have changed the course of Scotland's political history. The 300-year-old documents are thought to be the only original, surviving letters sent from Darien, the name by which the settled area of Panama was known (BBC News).
Argentina Bids for 2006 South American Games
Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has announced his support for the capital city Buenos Aires' bid for the 2006 South American (ODESUR) Games, local press reported on Wednesday. The country's Sports Secretary Claudio Morresi, as cited by the state-run news agency Telam, said the Sports Department and the Government of Buenos Aires will officially present the candidacy via the Argentine Olympic Committee (AOC) to the authorities of ODESUR in Brazil. The participants would include Aruba, Panama, Surinam, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, Guayana, Dutch Antilles, Ecuador and Venezuela. Brazil hosted the last edition of the games in 2002 with 2,069 athletes competing in 24 sports. The hosts topped the medal table after winning 333 medals (148 gold) while Argentina finished third with 245 medals (76 gold).
Ecuador World Heritage Site out of Danger
Ecuador’s Sangay National Park has finally been withdrawn from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger, following a thirteen year struggle to reduce human activity which threatened the park’s varied ecosystems and indigenous animal species. Consisting of tropical rainforests, glaciers, and two active volcanoes, Sangay National Park is also home to the mountain tapir and the Andean condor. The park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983 and is one of five such designated sites in Ecuador. Of the remaining 33 World Heritage Sites in Danger, three are located in Latin America, which is not to say that many cultural and natural treasures are not still in dire need of preservation. Another group dedicated to threatened heritage sites is the World Monument Fund, a non-profit organization which monitors more than 430 irreplaceable sites in more than 80 countries. The WMF’s Top 100 Endangered Sites List for 2006 includes eighteen Latin American buildings and monuments, some dating as far back as 300 AD.
Buenos Aires Gets Fresh Coat of Paint
Forgotten streets in the Argentine capital are getting a new lease on life thanks to ‘Painters without a Roof’, a group of indigent artists who have offered their services to sections of the city in need of rejuvenation. Monthly government subsidies allows these men and women to live as well as create, mostly murals, and many corners of Buenos Aires are already beginning to show signs of their inspirational artwork.
Bush Signs Central America Free Trade Agreement
This past month, the hotly debated Central America Free Trade Agreement - a comprehensive trade agreement between the US and Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Caribbean nation Dominican Republic - was approved by the narrowest of margins in Congress and signed by President Bush. Seen as a stepping stone towards the Free Trade Area of the Americas, CAFTA-DR would eliminate tariffs on about 80% of US exports immediately, with the rest being phased out over the coming years. According to United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, the agreement also has the power to modernize economies and improve labor laws. El Salvador, the first country to pass the agreement, has also expressed the beneficial effect the agreement could have on spurring on local tourism. But CAFTA-DR has more than its share of detractors. Many US public advocacy groups claim the agreement promotes privatization and deregulation of key public services, as well as the lowering of environmental standards. Of great concern, in particular, is the ‘test data exclusivity’ provision for pharmaceuticals. It forbids smaller companies from reproducing generic drugs, essentially giving richer pharmaceutical companies market monopoly on life-saving medications for diseases like AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Provisions like these have raised concern among Central American residents, whose distrust of CAFTA-DR has stirred numerous protests in the past several months. Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic have yet to vote on the agreement.
Chile’s Country Risk in New Historic Minimum
According to risk assessment agency JP Morgan Chile’s five sovereign bonds have spreads below 53 basic points: the 2007 issue 37,36 bp; 2008, 37,45 bp; 2009, 48,85 bp; 2013, 50,02 bp and 2012, 52,52 bp. The risk rate of a country is the bonus Chilean sovereign bonds must pay compared to US Treasury bonds interest rates, considered the most trustworthy in the world. In Latinamerica Chile is followed closely by Mexico which has a rate spread of 148 bp; Peru figures in third place with 157 bp; Colombia fourth, 302 bp; Uruguay with 346 bp; Brazil, 382 bp; Argentina with 400 bp; Venezuela 413 bp and Ecuador, 700 bp. The risk rate is a sign of international investors’ confidence on the economic future of a country. The lower the country risk, the cheaper is the access to credit or financing. Saddled on this positive assessment the Chilean peso continues to appreciate and closed Wednesday at a new record 542/543 pesos against the US dollar. So far this year the Chilean peso has revalued 2,8% while in 2004 appreciation totalled 6,5%. “The peso is operating stronger because the US dollar has been dropping in international markets particularly against the Euro and the Brazilian Real, which are the currencies most monitored in Santiago’s money markets”, said Patricio Mella from Investments JC Tour (Mercopress).
LOOK IT UP
URUGUAY
http://www.topix.net/world/uruguay
Uruguay News continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
http://www.montevideo.com.uy/uruguay/
Enciclopedia geográfica de Uruguay
National Institute for Statistics (demographics, economy, salaries, etc.)
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/samerica/uy.htm
Uruguay maps
CURIOSIDADES
Freedom of the Press Far from Reality in Cuba and Venezuela
According to “Reporters without borders”, 53 journalists lost their lives while on duty in 2004, the highest number in the last ten years. During the first four months of 2005, 22 have been killed and 105 are jailed. Freedom of the press inexistent in Cuba and frequently mocked in Colombia is “overall respected in the rest of the American continent” according to the Reporters who document on the 15th International Freedom of the Press Day. However twelve journalists were killed in Latin America either while on duty or for expressing their views. Cuba is the only country in the continent with imprisoned journalists, and even when seven were set free in 2004, 22 remain in jail. The report indicates that in Cuba political censorship is official policy and last year eleven journalists were attacked, eleven arrested and ten received death threats. Freedom of the press is severely restricted by anti terrorism legislation and public disorder ordinances, and in extreme cases such as Venezuela, “the government encourages attacks on the media” points out the report.
In Venezuela several media organizations, both written and audiovisual have been closed by the government and President Hugo Chavez and his staff are protected from press reports scrutinizing their jobs and performance. “Freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Venezuela have been curtailed with strong blows against democracy and governance”, claims the Brazilian Newspapers Association adding that the recently approved Social Responsibility Bill for Radio and Television or better known as “gag bill” allows the government to control media programs, contents and timetables. The report also points out that the Venezuelan Penal Code was recently reformed making it a crime to criticize national authorities, and demands that Patricia Poleo, editor of an opposition newspaper and recently sentenced to six months in jail, be set free.
Drug lords and certain corrupt political elites have made life impossible for journalists in some Latinamerican countries. In Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru several journalists were killed, indicates the report. In the United States, reporters have been sent to court for refusing to reveal sources, and in some cases in trials still pending they could be sentenced to jail or home arrest.
Globally on January 1, 2005, 107 journalists and 70 on line dissidents were in jail and 622 media suffered censorship attacks during 2004. Countries seriously restricting freedom of the press, with risk of life are North Korea, Burma, Vietnam and Laos. However Iraq for the second year running is the most dangerous place for journalists with the highest number of killings as well as death among media collaborators, drivers, guides, translators, technical crew and security guards. In Asia 16 journalists were killed in 2004 for exposing corruption or other crimes. Bangladesh, Philippines and Sri Lanka are the most complex countries to be a journalist. The report concluded saying that “freedom of the press is not guaranteed in the world. As outbreaks dim out, others emerge” (MERCOPRESS).