Pablo Strika will be the new Vice President of Sales for Central and Latin America for software designer Metaswitch. Strika has held several positions with a variety of technology and communications companies, including Mavenir Systems, Aricent, and most recently, Alcatel Lucent, where he worked as director of Services Sales. Metaswitch VP Ben Miller congratulated Strika. Read More »

JDA Software Group recently opened a 24-hour customer support center in Monterrey, Mexico. The "Center of Excellence" is the company's fourth worldwide and first in Latin America. It will provide customer support for customers in the United States, Canada and Latin America. JDA's three other Centers of Excellence are in Bangalore, India; Hyderbad, India; and Warsaw, Poland. Read More »

Arena Minerals and Teck Mining signed a joint agreement Oct. 23, giving Teck a 60 percent share in one of Arena's Atacama Copper ventures. The agreement covers the Solitario and Paciencia North prospects in Antofagasta, Chile. Teck will have a $19.5 million buy-in over six years in exchange for shares. The deal comes with options for Teck to acquire majority interest in the property. Read More »

The Economist will sponsor a summit of policymakers and business leaders from the United States and Cuba on Dec. 3 in D.C. The meeting will focus on clarifying the warming of diplomatic relations between the two countries for businesses and investors. Speakers will discuss the short- and- long-term risk outlook for investors interested in the Cuban market. Read More »

Power electronics provider AEG Power Solutions will power Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Offshore Co., Ltd.'s new deepwater drilling rig in Brazil's Santos basin after being granted a supply contract Oct. 22. The design is a customized modification of AEG's Protect 8 industrial uninterrupted power supply. AEG said the unit is unique because of its adaptability and modular structure. Read More »

Xerium recently completed its renovation projects in plants in Canada, Austria, Brazil, and Japan. The renovation projects took two years to finish and are the latest step in Xerium's strategy to optimize and expand its operations across the globe. Xerium President and CEO Harold Bevis said the improvements were meant to help each of its facilities keep up with demand. Read More »

Geoscience company CGG has recently acquired the necessary permits to conduct a regional broadband seismic survey of Brazil's Barreirinhas Basin. The survey will be carried out by the research vessel Oceanic Vega and will provide 2D and 3D data for approximately 5,600 square miles just off the coast. CGG will make use of its high-resolution BroadSeis technology for imaging. Read More »

Fitch Ratings downgraded the foreign currency Issuer Default Ratings of several Brazilian corporations. The Brazilian sovereign foreign and local currency IDRs dropped from BBB to BBB- and the country ceiling from BBB+ to BBB. The current foreign currency rating is Negative. Brazil's rising debt, challenges to fiscal consolidation and economic growth are all factors in the downgrade. Read More »

Riverside Resources and Centerra Gold, Inc. signed an option agreement for Tajitos Gold Project in Sonora, Mexico, on Oct. 20. Riverside Resources will act at the project manager, while Centerra Gold will focus on exploration expenditures over the next four years. After incurring $6 million in expenditures, Centerra Gold can acquire a 70 percent interest in the Tajitos Project. Read More »

Colombia Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria on Thursday announced approval for the manufacture and sale of medical marijuana products, noting that some such products are already legally being sold. "The decree is about creating the possibility to form an agro-business that sells legal marijuana products, for example ointments, creams and oils," Gaviria said. Read More »

The first two blocks of the Luz del Norte solar project, headed by First Solar Inc., are now connected to the Chilean central grid, bringing the project to about half of its total 141-megawatt capacity. “This exciting milestone is proof of how utility-scale solar is a viable energy alternative for Chile right now,” Cristian Sjogren, First Solar’s Chile country manager, said. Read More »

Following the announcement in September of Bancolombia’s agreement to acquire a 20 percent stake in Banco Agromercantil de Guatemala, Fitch Ratings reported Friday that any negative impact would be manageable.With this transaction, Bancolombia will own 60 percent of BAM. According to the report, the acquisition of BAM is in line with the bank’s broader strategy for growth. Read More »

GlobeNet, a data network provider in Latin and North America, announced that its services will be expanding to include São Paulo with the company’s Layer 2 and 3 service. This expansion will bring Internet protocol and ethernet services to its customers, allowing for greater connectivity as Brazil is set to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Read More »

Brazil Minerals has hired Gisele Souza as the vice president of administration for the company's operations in Montes Claros. Souza is a dual U.S. and Brazillian citizen who is fluent in English and Portugese. She will be the company's mediator between its sand, mortar and mining operations in the Minas Gerais region and local government, regulators and local businesses. Read More »

Duran Ventures is beginning construction on a new mineral processing plant near Trujillo, Peru, this week. The company decided on a flotation circuit design instead of a carbon in pulp leaching circuit, as the company had previously announced. The company's decision was principally based on being able to work with larger shipments from longer term suppliers. Read More »

Rede and Poynt Co., a subsidiary of Itaú Unibanco, announced Thursday it has entered into a partnership to bring smart payment terminals to Brazilian merchants in 2016. The smart terminal uses mobile technology to allow merchants using their system to manage business through electronic means as a multipurpose device. Read More »

Cyprium Mining Corp. has closed an acquisition agreement for 53 percent of a joint venture that owns exploitation and exploration rights of the Potosi Silver mine in the Santa Eulalia District, Mexico, it announced Thursday. Cyprium Mining Corp. has agreed to pay $2.5 million as a financial commitment consisting of an equity investment of $1.9 million into CYPVAL. Read More »

BCM Resources Corp. announced Friday it has appointed Richard Redfern to serve on its board of directors and as the company’s vice president of exploration. "We are excited to have a geologist with Rick's extensive background and experience on our team. We are confident that Rick will play an integral role in advancing our company's portfolio," BCM President Dale McClanaghan said. Read More »

Panama's second-largest insurer, ASSA, will take over all of American International Group's operations in four Central American countries, the company announced. "ASSA [will] move towards its goal of being the leading insurer in Central America by adding business and professional teams of AIG in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Panama," ASSA CEO Eduardo Fabrega said. Read More »

With as many as 10 percent of the estimated 600 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean lacking electricity, the executive secretary of the Latin American Energy Organization said this week projects will be started soon. OLADE's goal is to contribute to the region´s integration, sustainable development and energy security by giving advice and fostering cooperation Read More »