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Latin America Business: Quotes of the Year
The best quotes of the year in Latin America business.
BY LATINVEX STAFF
The editorial staff of Latinvex selects the best quotes of the year relating to Latin America business.
We have listed by country or topic in alphabetical order, except starting with Donald Trump & Latin America.
TRUMP & LATIN AMERICA
“Mr. Trump would like to have a loaded tariff gun by his side at all times so that his itchy finger could pull the trigger whenever he sees some country getting out of line.”
Latin America columnist Mary Anastasia O’Grady in The Wall Street Journal, October 20, 2024 on the pledges by Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Mexico.
“If they don’t stop this onslaught of criminals and drugs coming into our country, I am going to immediately impose a 25 per cent tariff on everything they send into the United States of America. If that doesn’t work, I’ll make it 50, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll make it 75. Then I’ll make it 100.”
Donald Trump speaking about the top US trade partner Mexico at campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on November 5, 2024.
“People make a lazy analogy with Milei and Trump. On the surface they may have similarities. But in reality, under the hood, the specifics each of them propose are diametrically opposed.”
Alejo Czerwonko, UBS AG’s chief investment officer for Americas emerging markets, quoted by Bloomberg, December 4, 2024.
ARGENTINA
“I think the speed at which the situation in Argentina has been changing has impressed absolutely everybody.”
Nubank CEO David Vélez said of Javier Milei’s turnaround efforts, as quoted by Bloomberg, October 29, 2024.
“Football matches are 90 minutes, they don’t end until the final whistle.”
Argentine President Javier Milei on a court ruling suspending his labor reform, as quoted by The Buenos Aires Times, January 5, 2024.
“This is a first fundamental step to remove Argentina from the swamp it has been the last decades.”
Argentine President Javier Milei, on April 30, 2024, after the country’s lower house approved his omnibus reform bill.
BRAZIL
“It was a bucket of cold water.”
Ricardo Cará Monteiro, chief investment officer at EQI Asset, on frustration with Brazilian president luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s long-anticipated fiscal plan, which turned out to be much worse than the market had expected, as quoted by business newspaper Valor Economico, December 2, 2024.
“There’s probably not a more thankless job in Brazil than being the president of Petrobras.”
Schreiner Parker, managing director for Latin America at Rystad Energy, on the speculation about current Petrobras CEO being replaced, as quoted by Bloomberg, April 4, 2024.
“The destruction of the fight against corruption in the country is relentless.”
Transparency International on X, formerly Twitter, commenting on the ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court to overturn two prominent ‘Car Wash’ corruption convictions, as quoted by the Financial Times, May 22, 2024.
“It amounts to a significant capitulation from the world’s richest man, who has used his clash with Moraes as a free-speech crusade against the South American nation’s efforts to police online content.”
Bloomberg, October 9, 2024, on Elon Musk agreeing to all of the demands by Brazil’s Supreme Court in order to return after a ban.
COLOMBIA
“It’s just one thing after the other right now keeping the investor narrative a bit frail.”
Gilberto Hernandez-Gomez, a strategist at BBVA in New York, on the constant risks for investors in Colombia under radical president Gustavo Petro, as quoted by Bloomberg, September 27, 2024.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
“It’s a simple recipe and I didn’t invent it . . . we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”
Dominican President Luis Abinader on combining pro-business policies with improved social spending, as quoted by the Financial Times, March 17, 2024.
GUYANA
“We want Guyana to become the first really developed nation in South America.”
Ashni Singh, Guyana’s finance minister, as quoted by The Guardian, July 8, 2024.
LATIN AMERICA
“In a world of scarce capital and pretty average commodity prices, no one is prepared to invest in Latin American political lunacy.”
John Price, Managing Director of Americas Market Intelligence, on the effects of leftist governments in Latin America, January 22, 2024.
“Businesspeople working in Latin America consistently perceive significant corruption risk in their operations.”
Matteson Ellis, Miller & Chevalier’s Latin America Practice Lead, on the results of the firm’s 2024 Latin America Corruption Survey, April 2, 2024.
MEXICO
“We’re going to pay the damn bonds. Some day, soon.”
Mexican magnate Ricardo Salinas on his broadcaster TV Azteca planning to pay overdue bonds to international creditors, as quoted by Reuters, February 14, 2024.
“It’ll be like young, recent medicine graduates performing open heart surgery. Uncertainty is going to be the common thread throughout this tragedy.”
Mexico-based Juan Francisco Torres-Landa, Leader of Hogan Lovells’ Latin America Practice, on Mexico’s judicial reform, which entails electing 7,000 judges by popular vote, as quoted by the Financial Times, September 16, 2024.
“The reality is that at the moment Mexico is not safe.”
U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, who blames former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as quoted by Reuters, November 13, 2024.
“AMLO seems quite happy to take all kinds of risks and have Sheinbaum deal with the consequences.”
Duncan Wood, president of the Pacific Council on International Policy, on Mexico’s outgoing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum, as quoted by Barron’s, August 30, 2024.
PANAMA
“We’ll promote a government that’s pro-investment, and pro-private enterprise.”
Panama’s president-elect Jose Raul Mulino to supporters in his victory speech, as quoted by Bloomberg, May 5, 2024.
VENEZUELA
“He and his cronies must come to believe that staying is more dangerous than leaving.”
Elliott Abrams, a Senior Fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations who served as Special Representative for Venezuela in the administration of Donald Trump in a CFR blog post, August 23, 2024.
LATIN AMERICA BUSINESS: YEAR IN REVIEW
Latin America Business: Best in 2024
Latin America Business: Worst in 2024
Latin America Business: Quotes of the Year
