The recent annual report of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), “Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2026. Growth and productivity in a context of high informality: limitations and challenges to boost productive formalization in the region,” indicates that economic growth It could reach 2.2 % this year and 2.5 % in 2027.

The commission believes that even if these projections are met, the indicators would be insufficient to “sustainably raise per capita income, close development gaps, and significantly expand policy space.”

The region is not immune to factors currently impacting the international context, such as slower global growth, geopolitical tensions, financial volatility, fiscal policies, and pressures in energy markets.

However, ECLAC emphasizes that low levels of investment, weak productivity growth, the decline in formal job creation, and high and persistent informal employment are the biggest obstacles to regional growth.

The Executive Secretary of ECLAC, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, highlights some achievements of Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of macroeconomic stability, but notes that there is still work to be done to overcome slow growth, increase investment and productivity, and achieve productive formalization that “strengthens the capacities of individuals and businesses, expands social protection, and generates more quality formal jobs.”

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Source: cepal

(Reference image source: Dominik Lückmann on Unsplash)

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With the support of IDB Invest, Panama has begun seeking $1 billion in private investment to bolster key sectors of its development: energy, construction, tourism, water and sanitation, housing, digital infrastructure, employment, manufacturing, agribusiness, and financial services.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) announced that the strategic alliance with IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, will help “boost the economy, expand access to financing, strengthen productive sectors with growth potential, and contribute to job creation.”

The ministry explained that the funds would be allocated directly to private companies and projects “or channeled through financial institutions to expand access to credit for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).”

In addition to financing, technical assistance is expected for initiatives in the renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric mobility, and resilient infrastructure sectors.

It is important to note that in the first half of 2026, IDB Invest committed approximately $200 million in new operations in Panama and plans to increase that amount as new eligible projects are identified and approved.

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Source: telemetro

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La entrada Panama receives support from IDB Invest to attract private investment apareció primero en Bitfinance.

ESET, the leading company in proactive threat detection, announced a €40 million investment in the future of AI-driven cybersecurity, as the company warns of a rapidly emerging new attack surface fueled by autonomous, agency-enabled AI systems.

The commitment — announced by ESET CEO Richard Marko at ESET World 2026 — comes in response to a shift ESET has observed in its own data. Since March 2026, ESET technologies have analyzed nearly 800,000 unique AI skills (modular components that instruct AI agents on how to perform tasks, use tools, access services, and interact with external systems). Approximately 25,000 of these skills were classified as suspicious, and more than 3,000 were blocked for being malicious.

This total represents a 13-fold increase compared to the approximately 60,000 publicly available skills observed earlier this year. According to ESET’s research team, AI skills are part of a rapidly growing layer in the software supply chain, often connecting sensitive systems to external repositories, plugins, datasets, and third-party services.

“Cybersecurity is entering a completely new era,” said Richard Marko, CEO of ESET. “Artificial intelligence is no longer just a defensive tool. It is becoming part of the attack surface itself. Our investment is focused on ensuring that AI strengthens cybersecurity rather than weakening it, and on developing technologies capable of protecting organizations in a world of autonomous AI.”

The initiative aims to strengthen ESET’s technological independence and European sovereignty in cybersecurity at a time when access to advanced artificial intelligence systems is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small number of global technology companies. “We believe that the future of cybersecurity cannot depend entirely on models controlled by large technology companies,” added Marko.

“In cybersecurity, sovereignty matters”

Backed by a three-year recruitment plan that will grow ESET’s R&D team to 1,000 dedicated research and engineering professionals, the €40 million investment will focus on three strategic areas:

• Independent, security-priority core AI models
• A comprehensive, layered AI security architecture
• The next-generation AI SOC

“ESET has long been at the forefront of applying AI to cybersecurity,” said Juraj Jánošík, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at ESET. “What is changing now is the role that AI plays.” AI tools are becoming part of everyday work, autonomous systems are expanding the attack surface, and security teams need faster ways to respond to threats. This investment allows us to work across the spectrum: protecting the use of AI, building AI models for cybersecurity, and incorporating autonomous capabilities into security operations under human supervision.”

Standard, security-priority AI models

ESET will accelerate the development of its own security-centric AI models, designed specifically for cybersecurity applications. Unlike general-purpose AI systems trained on broad internet content, ESET’s models will be optimized using cybersecurity telemetry and real-world threat intelligence gathered over ESET’s nearly 35-year history.

The company will continue to expand its existing AI-powered technologies (such as ESET LiveGrid, ESET LiveCortex, and ESET LiveGuard) while exploring emerging AI concepts, including “World Models” capable of understanding behavior, context, and intent within digital environments.

Design, development, and implementation of a comprehensive, layered AI security architecture

As AI becomes more integrated into everyday business operations, ESET is developing a comprehensive, AI-native security architecture designed to protect organizations against emerging AI-driven risks and threats. The investment will include the development of ESET Secure AI Relay, a secure intermediary layer between users, AI agents, business applications, and AI models.

The leading cybersecurity company will also develop network-level safeguards and protections for communication between AI agents. ESET AI Skills Checker (a free tool launched at the RSAC 2026 conference), along with its enhanced versions integrated into ESET products, was specifically designed for this emerging ecosystem of agent-based AI systems.

Building the Next Generation AI SOC

A new generation of AI-powered Security Operations Center (SOC) technologies will be designed to address the increasing scale and complexity of modern detection and response environments. Instead of simply replacing analysts with AI agents, ESET aims to fundamentally rethink how cybersecurity telemetry is processed, correlated, and understood. The company’s vision is to make advanced AI-powered cybersecurity accessible not only to large enterprises but also to small and medium-sized organizations through supervised and highly automated protection technologies.

“Cybersecurity cannot grow simply by adding more alerts, more dashboards, and more complexity,” added Marko. “The industry needs to take another major leap forward. We believe that artificial intelligence should help make world-class cybersecurity simple and accessible to everyone.”

To learn more about ESET solutions, visit: https://www.eset.com/latam/empresas/protect-platform/ and/or simply https://www.eset.com/latam/

ESET invites you to delve deeper into cybersecurity by visiting: https://www.welivesecurity.com/es/.

For useful preventative information and details on services and products, visit https://www.eset.com/ve/ and their social media channels @eset_ve. You can also find them on Instagram (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET).

Information and images courtesy of ESET and Comstat Rowland Strategic Communications

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With just a few days left in 2025, emerging markets remain the focus of investors’ attention, who see significant economic potential in these subregions.

Focus Economics analysts have studied the situation in each group of countries, identifying some of the trends that will characterize them, at least at the beginning of 2026.

• Asia-Pacific: the region will remain one of the fastest growing economically, driven by sectors such as tourism, information technology and electronics, as well as business-friendly policies, high levels of education, and still robust population growth.
• Latin America: It is likely to remain the slowest-growing emerging market next year, due in part to its relatively high GDP per capita. This “reduces the scope for rapid convergence growth.” Political instability, weak education systems, corruption, violence, and a limited presence in high-growth sectors will persist in the region.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: This market is projected to surpass Asia-Pacific as the fastest-growing region globally, with sustained growth of 4.1 %. It will be marked by the world’s fastest population growth rate. As a result, annual growth is expected to reach 2.4 % by 2026, impacting regional output per capita.
• Middle East and North Africa: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) axis will experience rapid expansion in 2026, driven by increased OPEC oil production quotas.
• Eastern Europe and Central Asia: According to analysts, this will be the second slowest-growing emerging market region in 2026, similar to Latin America, due in part to the fact that “many Eastern European economies — especially those belonging to the EU — are converging or have already converged toward GDP per capita levels of developed economies, leaving less room for convergence growth.” Furthermore, more moderate oil and gas prices compared to 2025 could become a drawback by limiting public spending in energy-exporting countries.

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Source: focuseconomics

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Authorities from Venezuela and China held a meeting in Caracas with the aim of strengthening their trade ties in key sectors such as exports and technological development.

The meeting was attended by Venezuelan Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Trade, Coromoto Godoy; Venezuelan Consul in Guangzhou, Manuel González; as well as Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela, Lan Hu; and Sector Vice President, Gabriela Jiménez.

The meeting, aimed at strengthening bilateral trade relations, allowed for the evaluation of “concrete actions to overcome logistical obstacles and enhance the export capacity of Venezuelan products. Godoy emphasized the joint commitment to advancing the internationalization of national goods, aligned with the PAE Plan: Produce, Supply, and Export!, in line with the guidance of President Nicolás Maduro.”

Likewise, on her official Instagram account, she stated: “We are working in a coordinated manner to achieve important goals in the internationalization of our products.”

The official highlighted the interest of both nations in raising investment and technological exchange, particularly in key sectors “such as artificial intelligence, a topic recently addressed by the sector’s vice president, Gabriela Jiménez, in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Venezuela.

The authorities of both countries seek to boost economic development, productive innovation, and international cooperation between the two nations through these meetings, which help strengthen trade relations.”

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Source: ultimasnoticias

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La entrada Venezuela and China consolidate trade cooperation in exports and technology apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro emphasized this Monday, July 14, the importance of developing a homegrown, sovereign AI, articulated with the Global South.

The president insisted on the creation of a homegrown AI while criticizing those developed so far, which he considers biased.

Maduro said on his television program Con Maduro+ (With Maduro+), which airs every Monday, that it is necessary to avoid dependence on this colonialist AI in order to achieve balance.

According to the Venezuelan president, the South American nation has received technological support from China for the development of its own AI. He also referred to the signing of an agreement on AI development with the government of President Xi Jinping, a signatory of intent to transform the Asian country into a political system.

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With information from national and international media and social media

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Venezuela’s economic diversification process is strengthened by incorporating tourism as a key element of growth, according to a recent statement by the Minister of Tourism, Leticia Gómez.

The official emphasized that, in this regard, they are “working together with universities and schools to develop professional and community training mechanisms in tourism.”

“During the session dedicated to tourism as one of the key drivers of economic development in countries, held in the Russian Federation, Gómez stated that tourism had an impact on global economy by 2024 with $11.1 trillion.”

She also highlighted that the sector is generating more jobs globally, “with more than 300 million jobs.”

Regarding the country, Gómez noted that it has signed bilateral agreements with various nations and “has designed a specific tourism collaboration program where training, education, and experience sharing are key components.”

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Source: notitarde

(Reference image source: Leonardo Guillen on Unsplash)

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La entrada Tourism sector is key to Venezuela’s economic growth apareció primero en Bitfinance.

This Monday, Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong announced that they have developed their own operating system for their HarmonyOS-powered laptops.

The CEO of the Chinese technology company made the announcement in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, stating that “computers equipped with HarmonyOS integrate software, hardware, devices, and cloud services to fundamentally reshape the PC experience.”

He added that HarmonyOS (Hongmeng in Mandarin) is an open-source operating system they have developed for various devices and scenarios.

“Originally launched in 2019, it has since been applied to smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, smart home appliances, and new energy vehicles.”

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Source: xinhua.net

(Reference image source: Amanz on Unsplash)

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Bancamiga presented a new editorial and multimedia project entitled “Manual for Entrepreneurs. 10 Key Questions for Entrepreneurship in Venezuela,” a tool designed to provide support and guidance to those who want to start or boost their businesses in the country.

The project was created to address the concerns and needs expressed by thousands of Venezuelan entrepreneurs during the forums, seminars, and training workshops organized by Bancamiga nationwide since 2022. The manual compiles the 10 most frequently asked questions by entrepreneurs and offers clear and practical answers from experts in different fields.

A resource for success

“We are proud to share the second title from the Bancamiga Publishing Fund. An innovative proposal that addresses the concerns of entrepreneurs. We are confident that this will be an effective and essential tool for all those who want to develop their business ideas and projects,” said José Simón Elarba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bancamiga Banco Universal.

The Entrepreneurs Manual is a medium-format, 164-page print edition, combined with digital resources to facilitate learning and the application of knowledge.

Each chapter, dedicated to one of the 10 key questions, has been developed by a specialist in the field and includes a QR code that provides access to available practical tools or resources. Readers can also complement their learning with explanatory videos created by experts, which delve deeper into the topics covered in each section.

Top-notch team

The manual features the collaboration of a distinguished group of professionals with extensive experience in business and academia, including Scampola Aponte and Yoel González, professors at UCAB; Edwin Ojeda, professor at IESA; Tomiris Useche, specialist in sustainable development finance at UNDP Venezuela; and UNDP Venezuela consultants, sociologist Gustavo González and economist Francisco Rodríguez.

Also contributing were Claudia Valladares, president of Impact Hub Caracas; Ana Isabel Hernández, business and brand consultant; Isa Bermúdez, marketing, innovation, and sales strategist; and economist Luis Oliveros, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at the Metropolitan University.

The common thread running through all the chapters is the story of a couple who have decided to become entrepreneurs and who find solutions to their questions throughout the book, which provides answers to the following questions: How do I start a business if I don’t have money? Can I develop a business aligned with my purpose? and Who do I offer what I know how to do?

The text also answers questions for those who have already made progress with their business ideas, offering advice on promoting products and services, improving business performance, optimizing financial management, learning how to differentiate themselves from the competition, and keeping their venture afloat in challenging environments.

The final chapter of the manual, developed by Bancamiga’s Entrepreneurship and Special Plans Department, headed by Oskayda Alvarado, details the steps to follow to apply for financing and enable startups to grow.

The book was designed by Carolina Arnal and Waleska Belisario of ABV Taller de Diseño, who created a visually appealing and functional presentation.

Presentation of the manual for entrepreneurs

During the presentation and christening of the book, in addition to José Simón Elarba’s remarks, the keynote speeches were given by Maryury Bargiela, President of the National Entrepreneurship Fund; Luis Oliveros, who spoke on behalf of the experts and professionals participating in the project; and Milagro González, Director of Social Responsibility at Bancamiga.

Journalist Ana Virginia Escobar welcomed and provided support at the ceremony. Ariel José Martínez, CEO, and other Bancamiga executives, academic figures, special guests, journalists, and media outlets were present.

Audiovisual coverage

Bancamiga’s Commitment to the Country

With the publication of the Entrepreneurs’ Manual, Bancamiga reaffirms its commitment to developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Venezuela, offering alternative training spaces, tools, and resources that contribute to business growth and consolidation.

The “Entrepreneurs’ Manual: 10 Key Questions for Starting a Business in Venezuela” can be downloaded from the website https://www.bancamiga.com/

Direct and in-person media coverage by the Digital Communication Group EL SUMARIO

Audiovisual production: Jesús Ramírez

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General elections will be held in Peru on April 12, 2026, according to the call announced this Tuesday by the current president, Dina Boluarte, during a message to the nation at the Government Palace.

The president was accompanied by the heads of the National Elections Jury, Roberto Burneo; the National Office of Electoral Processes, Piero Corvetto; and the Registry of Identification and Civil Status, Carmen Velarde.

Boluarte declared: “Today, complying with the constitutional and legal mandate, demonstrating our firm commitment to democracy, and with the presence of the authorities that make up the electoral system, I call for general elections for April 12, 2026.”

The 2026 elections will allow Peruvians to democratically elect the next president, as well as seats for deputies and senators in the future bicameral Congress and representatives to the Andean Parliament.

He referred to the electoral process as a historic event and announced that he is confident that the electoral campaign “will be based on proposals that guarantee growth, social justice, and development, as well as the continuity of public works so that Peru does not come to a standstill.”

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Source: americaeconomia

(Reference image source: Eduardo Garcia on Unsplash)

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