In the aftermath of the barbarity inflicted by Islamic terrorists in France, five Syrians heading to the United States with fake Greek passports were arrested in Honduras. When queried, one of them stated they were “students.” At that point, it became alarmingly clear that Latin America could well serve as a launch pad for Islamic […]
Author: Jerry Haar
Latin America’s Agricultural Challenges
Our planet is a hungry one. By the year 2050, the world will need to produce enough food to feed more than 2 billion additional people, compared to the current 7.2 billion. To meet future food demand, agricultural production will need to increase by 50-70%, according to different estimates. Within the Western Hemisphere, agriculture is […]
Doing business in Cuba: Don’t forget opportunity costs
The continuing and growing chatter on doing business in Cuba is reaching epic proportions. It has become the “flavor of the month” (and will continue to be) among entrepreneurs, investors, exporters, importers, financiers and U.S. multinational companies. It is understandable. After 56 years of isolation from American commercial relations, the bilateral movement to restore diplomatic […]
Outsourcing services to Cuba? A win-win for the U.S. and Cuba.
“Services” comprises the main driver of the economy of many large cities in the U.S. in terms of employment, revenue, and taxes. Be it tourism, banking and finance, real estate, technology and trade, services is the fulcrum that was, is, and always will be the engine of our economic development. Many large U.S. cities target […]
Florida sees big benefits from stem cell research
Author Bryant H. McGill asserts that: “It is better to have a meaningful life and make a difference than to merely have a long life.” But increasingly one can have both, courtesy of scientific advancement. Extending life and its quality are clearly without our reach. Life expectancy in industrialized nations has risen from age 47 […]
President’s Move Beams Ray of Hope to Cuba’s Entrepreneurs
“A game-changer,” “a new era,”a historic breakthrough” –these are just a few of the headlines announcing President Obama’s announcement that the U.S. will normalize relations with Cuba. The reaction of the public has been favorable, with 60% in both the Gallup and CNN polls in agreement with the president. However, when it comes to the […]
Don’t expect rapid change
Curb your enthusiasm. That’s my advice, inspired by the HBO series of the same name, for wishful thinkers across the globe who have manifested unbridled euphoria ever since President Obama announced the normalization of diplomatic ties with Cuba. It is just a matter of time now before the embargo will be lifted in its entirety, […]
The Keystone XL Pipeline: A Win-Win for the United States and Canada
The United States would do well to move forward on the project. Oh, Canada! Blessed by proximity to the United States, cursed by its politics. The ongoing saga of the Keystone XL pipeline best illustrates how a thriving trade, investment, and security relationship with our most important ally is being strained by a feckless White […]
Haar to heart: a technology brew is percolating in Peru.
Say “Peru” to a lot of people and what comes to mind? Copper, ceviche and Macchu Pichu. Yet bubbling beneath the surface—and already emerging—is an ecosystem of startups that will soon hold its own in South America with those in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. A recent trip to Lima, to moderate a session at […]
Haar to heart: The global economy in 2013
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” —Nils Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics A little more than a month into the new year, it is hard to predict if the lackluster global economy’s three-year long malaise will continue, worsen, or improve. However there are sufficient data available to gain a good glimpse, […]