Our Thursday Sociedad Media Now daily newsletter on the region’s newest economic stories and topics impacting Latin America, featuring recent data on the Top 7 Most Developed Countries in Latin America — a who’s who on the region’s shortlist.
Canada & U.S. Finalize Trade Deal. Mexico Is Plays a Different Game
MIAMI — Canada and the U.S. say they’re close to finalizing a trade arrangement, though key tariff details remain unresolved.
Mexico is pursuing its own separate bilateral track with similar demands, and neither is expected to produce more than an interim deal before deeper USMCA questions get pushed into 2027.
Venezuela Signs First New U.S. Oil Contracts — But Majors Still Watch From The Sidelines
CARACAS — Seven months after Maduro’s removal, Hunt Oil and SLB signed Venezuela’s first new production-related contracts with PDVSA this week, marking a genuine operational milestone as U.S.-bound crude exports have quadrupled since the end of 2025 to over 500,000 barrels a day.
But the industry’s biggest players — ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips — remain on the sidelines, held back by roughly $170 billion in unresolved legacy creditor claims and expropriation awards that sit senior to any new investment, meaning the companies signing deals now are largely smaller independents willing to bet before the legal architecture catches up.
LATAM’S Most Developed Countries, Ranked: Chile Leads a Region of Contrasts
LATIN AMERICA — Chile leads Latin America’s Human Development Index (HDI) rankings again, followed by Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Peru, and Mexico — while the region’s largest economies, Brazil and Colombia, trail just outside the top seven.
Click here for full breakdown →
