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October 2001

The real begins declining again. Markets are still wary about the idea of a freely floating currency. Concern is growing about the government’s mounitng debt burden and the slow pace of reforms.

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Orinoco No Flow?

Venezuela?s Orinoco oil belt, the largest known hydrocarbon deposit in the world, is a gold mine both to the Venezuelan government and foreign investors. Sponsors Texaco, Phillips Petroleum and Venezuela?s national petroleum company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) signed a $1.1 billion financing as part of the $3.5 billion Hamaca oilfield project in June. Financial backing from the Export-Import Bank of the US helped garner support from commercial banks. But President Chavez wants to pass a new hydrocarbons law (see Promulgations page 8) that threatens to raise future financing costs for oil exploration projects and deter investment in Venezuela?s energy industry.

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Argentina Gets Creative

Just days before Argentina?s momentous $29.52 billion debt exchange last May, the government managed to pull together support for a $1.1 billion patriotic bond. When international investors shied away and nervously awaited the outcome of the exchange, the government crafted a deal to garner domestic support.

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