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When images of violent protests began streaming out of Brazil last month, some partisans here in Mexico may have felt a silent temptation to gloat. Certainly no one wants to see people hurt, or property destroyed, in any country. But considering the free ride Brazil received in international media in recent years – while Mexico was flogged like the family mule – a little tarnish on the South American giant’s reputation at least might be worth a dab of schadenfreude. We, however, are not feeling it, and the quicker Brazil recovers the path to peace and prosperity, the better for all concerned.
Brazil and Mexico are presented as rivals at times, considering their role as Latin America’s two largest economies and emerging-market stars. Readers of this blog know that we seize every opportunity to whinge about Brazil’s glamor-puss image while it plays dirty on trade policy. Continue reading Brazil troubles hold no payoff for Mexico
Mexico has taken a drubbing from China over the past decade in the attraction of foreign investment in manufacturing, maquiladora and otherwise. While Mexico has by no means been abandoned by North American and Asian manufacturers, China became a veritable Klondike for foreign manufactures seeking to lower production costs in the early 2000’s. But a recent story in Reforma reinforces our own anecdotal evidence that Mexico may be in the process of recovering some of the FDI that drank the China Kool-Aid over the past few years.