AGP Executive Report

Chinese Brands in LATAM: Euromonitor says Chinese exports to Latin America neared $300B in 2025 and Chinese firms are moving from shipping goods to investing in local manufacturing and supply chains, boosting presence in electronics, appliances, EVs and more. Cybersecurity in the Region: Unit 42 reports hackers used commercial AI tools to speed up intrusions across Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil, helping attackers troubleshoot and keep multi-stage attacks moving. Energy Storage in Chile: METLEN agreed to sell its Tamarico II hybrid project in Chile, pairing 165 MW solar with 725 MWh battery storage (expandable), as the company continues its asset-rotation strategy. Renewables Deal in Chile: Univar Solutions Mexico will distribute LANXESS lubricant and metalworking additives, aiming to strengthen the industrial chemicals value chain. Health Study with a LATAM Angle: A UK Oxford study links very hot tea/coffee (65°C+) to about triple the risk of esophageal cancer, with the overall risk still relatively low. Climate Pressure: Sargassum “superbloom” continues to foul Caribbean and Florida coasts, smothering reefs and harming tourism and fisheries. Payments Startup Expansion: Egypt-based Zeal raised $10M to scale terminal-based loyalty and customer identification across the Middle East and Latin America.

AI in Medical Training: The University of the West Indies (Cave Hill), Era University (India) and the American University of Barbados are partnering to modernise medical education with AI and boost research-led training across the Caribbean. Immigration Policy Impact: Salvadorans with Temporary Protected Status face an uncertain future as the program sunsets, raising fears of job, insurance and retirement losses for roughly 170,000 people in the U.S. Cybersecurity: Check Point reports rising cyberattacks across sectors, with Latin America seeing the highest average attack volume and generative AI increasing data-leak risk. Digital Finance in LatAm: Mexico City’s Kapital raises $125M to expand its AI-driven lending model into the U.S. and Europe, alongside strong early 2026 growth metrics. Energy & Industry: ABS issues Basic Design Review certification for Hanwha Ocean’s standardised FPSO design for South American and West African deepwater markets. Press Freedom in Honduras: A judge moves forward with a preliminary hearing that could lead to trial for former military commander Roosevelt Hernández over alleged attacks on journalists. Marine Research (Costa Rica): UCR researchers use cameras and drones to track nurse sharks, challenging the idea that they barely move.

Digital Payments & Inclusion: Visa and the World Bank Group’s IFC launched a risk-sharing initiative to expand digital payments in emerging markets, starting with 14 Latin America and Caribbean countries. Agentic Commerce Payments: IXOPAY rolled out an “Agentic Suite” to help merchants connect AI shopping agents to existing payment rails while preserving transaction context. Crime Tech in Latin America: A CNN report flags drones as an increasingly common weapon for organized crime across the region, citing hundreds of armed-drone incidents since 2018. Cybersecurity: Radware’s H1 2026 threat report says web DDoS attacks jumped 110% and attackers are moving faster, with AI accelerating vulnerability discovery. Immersive Entertainment: PROJEKTIL marked 10 years of immersive productions, reflecting how projection mapping is reshaping ticketed heritage experiences. Mapping & Travel Perception: A UN-backed push for “Equal Earth” map projections aims to reduce continent-size distortion—raising questions about how people plan trips. Health & Cancer Risk: A UK study links “very hot” drinks to higher oesophageal cancer risk, with experts urging people to let drinks cool or add cold milk. Energy & Infrastructure: EIB approved a €1B credit facility for Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth Energy Island to support offshore wind and future UK interconnection.

Dinosaur Science: A study on titanosaur eggshells from Argentina suggests the biggest dinosaur breeders could nest and incubate eggs at higher latitudes, using strategies to keep eggs warm far from the equator. Public Health: A major UK study finds very hot drinks raise oesophageal cancer risk, with a simple fix—let coffee/tea cool a bit before sipping. Caribbean AI for Education: The Nelsonian Foundation is rolling out three free AI tools across 19 Caribbean countries, targeting exam prep, dementia support, and financial literacy. Digital Trade in LATAM: An IDB/WTO/World Bank report says digitally delivered services in Latin America and the Caribbean nearly quintupled since 2005, reaching about $90B and becoming a growth engine. Mercury in the Amazon: Mongabay Latam maps mercury hotspots in the Madeira River basin, linking contamination to fish-based diets and serious health risks in riverside communities. El Niño Watch: UN warnings point to a “danger zone” for extreme weather as NOAA and other efforts track the developing El Niño’s impacts. Cuba Tech & Control: New reporting highlights Venezuela’s Chinese AI upgrade plans as part of a broader digital surveillance trend.

Geothermal Push in Ireland: Ireland’s Dublin Seismic Survey will use non-invasive geophysics to map deep geothermal potential up to 3 km under the city, aiming to support district heating for major urban demand. AI for Public Finance: Caribbean PM Godwin Friday urged governments to move to “digital by design” transformation for public financial management, tying AI adoption to governance and accountability. Venezuela Critical Minerals: Reuters reports the Trump administration is seeking more U.S. access to Venezuela’s minerals, including gold, with possible steps to open the mining sector to investment. Colombia Biotech Commercialization: RMTG’s Cellgenic division began local commercial arrangements in Colombia, including physician and provider relationships, while noting it’s subject to Colombian regulatory requirements. Autonomous Sales Meets Human Dialing: SalesCloser and Tendril signed a collaboration to combine autonomous AI sales agents with human-assisted outbound calling and data enrichment. Clinical AI Advisory: NetraMark appointed Kevin Felix as strategic advisor to strengthen commercialization of its AI-powered clinical trial analytics. Energy Cost Cutting: DNV says standardizing offshore wind turbine designs and smoothing project pipelines could cut North Sea electricity lifetime costs by up to 28% by 2050. Bogotá Aging Care Gap: A report highlights Bogotá’s challenge with homelessness among older adults and its push to integrate health and social care systems.

Oil Markets: Chinese crude demand rebounds fast, pushing Shanghai above $100 and flipping the Shanghai-Brent spread back to a premium as Hormuz disruptions tighten global supply. Latin America Energy: The Americas head into peak diesel season with thinnest buffers in years, driven by global supply deficits and tighter Russia/Middle East export flows—Brazil looks especially exposed. Uruguay Offshore: Eni doubles down offshore Uruguay, taking 50% operatorship in OFF-5 and agreeing to buy 40% in adjacent OFF-6 to accelerate exploration with YPF and ANCAP. Caribbean Science & Inclusion: UNESCO launches WINGS Caribbean to fund mid- and advanced-career women in science with fellowships and a regional leadership network. Caribbean Digital Governance: St. Vincent and the Grenadines warns against “AI hype” in a regional IMF/CARTAC workshop on modernizing public financial management with a “digital by design” focus. Jamaica Public Safety Tech: Jamaica advances modernization of justice and correctional systems with digital upgrades, security, rehabilitation, and reintegration aimed at reducing reoffending. UN Cartography: The UN General Assembly backs the “Correct the Map” push toward equal-area projections, a move framed as addressing Africa’s distorted portrayal on Mercator. Amazon Crash: NTSB says an Amazon cargo jet overrun at Miami left “utter devastation,” with five deaths and multiple critical injuries.

AI Infrastructure Push in Argentina: Reuters reports hyperscalers and energy firms scouting Patagonia for AI data centers, with early deals targeting late 2026 and major capacity plans tied to wind, gas, and large-scale power buildouts. Food Safety & Packaging: A new study finds 1,222 food-contact chemicals may pose serious health risks, while most lack enough public data for independent safety checks—raising pressure for tougher transparency. El Niño Shockwave: The UN warns a “supersized” El Niño could last until Feb. 2027, driving floods, droughts, and extreme heat across parts of Latin America and beyond, with knock-on effects for crops, energy, and markets. Colombia Seismic Tech Upgrade: Vector Geophysical bought 30,000 STRYDE Halo-Connect nodes to boost high-density seismic surveys, aiming for faster, more productive exploration. Peru Security Tech Pivot: Peru’s police chief resigned amid criticism over rising crime; the government says new leadership will bring “technological tools” to strengthen the fight. Cross-Border Payments: SQRIL expands its scan-to-pay QR payments to banks and neobanks across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, aiming to cut card and cash costs for travelers and remittance users. Health Innovation in Mexico: Ondine Biomedical will pilot Steriwave nasal photodisinfection with Hospital Ángeles to reduce post-surgical infections using an antibiotic-free approach. Cybersecurity Watch: Researchers detail JSCeal malware campaigns using fake trading sites and obfuscated JavaScript to harvest credentials and intercept traffic.

Space & Industry: German startup Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit from Arctic Norway, marking Europe’s first commercial orbital flight from continental Europe and boosting the region’s push for independent satellite access. AI & Workflows in Panama: Panama’s AI ambitions collide with a talent and research gap, as businesses start using “AI employees” to offload repetitive office tasks while local capacity lags. Health Research (LatAm): A two-year, culturally adapted lifestyle program across 11 Latin American countries improved memory and cognitive performance in older adults, with stronger gains when participants had structured coaching. Energy & Geopolitics: Argentina’s Milei backs tougher sanctions against companies drilling near the Falkland Islands, framing it as sovereignty protection tied to natural resources. Mining & Supply Chains: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru signed a South American lithium alliance to coordinate critical-mineral supply for the energy transition amid US-China strategic pressure. Education (Caribbean): The Caribbean Development Bank unveiled a regional math-improvement IMPACT programme at a CARICOM education meeting in Guyana. Science Policy & Maps: The UN adopted “Correct the Map,” encouraging equal-area projections to better reflect Africa’s size after centuries of Mercator distortion.

Space & Industry: German startup Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit from Arctic Norway, a milestone for Europe’s push for independent satellite access. AI & Business: China unveiled a plan to grow AI entrepreneurship among SMEs, targeting 10,000+ AI-focused firms by 2028 and building incubators, clusters, and low-cost computing support. Global Maps, Local Politics: The UN backed a shift toward equal-area world maps to correct long-running distortions, while India supported the cartography change but insisted J&K and Ladakh must match India’s official maps. Education & Wellbeing: A Bogotá public school cut bullying to zero and reduced serious coexistence incidents by 85% by prioritizing emotional wellbeing and peer-led conflict resolution. Mobility Safety Tech: Yango Ride published a safety report saying grave traffic violations fell 31% across markets, with privacy and anti-fraud tools linked to fewer off-platform disputes. Oil & Sovereignty: OPEC’s secretary general said market stability is the priority and rejected price manipulation, as geopolitical route risks are met with alternative logistics. Health Research: New work using global DNA data improves Alzheimer’s risk prediction across ancestry groups.

Space Autonomy: German startup Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket from Arctic Norway, marking the first privately developed orbital flight from continental Europe and pushing the region toward more homegrown satellite access. UN Cartography Push: The UN General Assembly voted to replace Mercator with the Equal Earth projection, with Africa appearing larger and Europe/North America smaller—an effort backed by Togo and the African Union, and opposed only by the US. AI in Schools (El Salvador): An OECD-linked pilot using AI tutors in 171 public schools produced results comparable to Sweden and Germany, and the program is scaling toward 1,000+ schools. Tourism Tech (Jamaica): Jamaica’s Tourism Enhancement Fund picked 15 entrepreneurs for an incubator that adds AI-powered prototype development to help local products reach tourism markets. Fraud & Safety (Global): A new look at AI-enabled fraud warns that organized, personalized scams are outpacing traditional defenses. Online Child Safety (Global): UNICEF reports high exposure to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation, with Latin America and the Caribbean at 18%. Fintech/Payments (BRICS): BRICS is exploring cross-border payments, including links between digital payment systems and CBDCs. Mobility/Delivery (Uber): Uber’s exit from Nigeria may be reversed via its planned Delivery Hero/Glovo deal, expanding delivery across multiple African markets.

UN Cartography Shake-Up: The UN General Assembly backed a new “Correct the Map” resolution, endorsing equal-area projections like Equal Earth to better reflect countries’ true sizes; Africa is shown larger while Europe and North America look smaller, with the US the lone no vote. Venezuela Energy Deal: The US is moving deeper into Venezuela’s oil sector, including a reported 35% passive stake tied to a private partnership covering access to massive reserves—raising questions about debt, geopolitics, and China’s future role. El Niño Disruptions: The Panama Canal is cutting daily transits as drought linked to El Niño lowers water levels, a reminder of how climate swings can hit regional trade fast. Immigration Policy Impact: El Salvador’s Temporary Protected Status is set to end Sept. 9, putting more than 170,000 people at risk and adding pressure on US communities that rely on their work. Tech & Trade in the Region: Peruvian bananas made a milestone debut in China via the Chancay–Shanghai route, highlighting faster logistics and growing LATAM-China supply links. Sports Spotlight: St. Kitts and Nevis’ Jeremiah Louis earned a standout five-wicket haul in the CPL, putting local talent in the spotlight.

Weather & Climate: El Niño is helping crush Atlantic hurricane formation, with the basin at its lowest activity since 1941 as wind shear disrupts storms. AI for Forecasting: Google DeepMind’s WeatherNext 3 now delivers hourly, sharper global forecasts (up to 5 km detail) by learning from real-time satellite and station data. Maritime Security: Vantor will supply the U.S. Navy with AI-enabled “dark fleet” monitoring in the Pacific, tracking vessels that switch off AIS. Digital Policy in the Caribbean: The Bahamas hosted the World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum, pushing small-island priorities like inclusion, resilience and connectivity. Space Science (Chile): ESO’s MOONS spectrograph achieved first light, mapping thousands of stars in the Milky Way’s dust-choked core. LatAm Fintech: Argentina’s UIN raised $2M to help banks and fintechs use AI to turn transactions into recurring customer behavior. Crypto Governance: The IMF says El Salvador’s bitcoin accumulation since its last review came from private donations, not public funds.

Battery Tech: Ten-Nine Technologies is scaling its TENIX “anti-aging” battery cathode additive to commercial production, claiming 75%+ more charge-discharge cycles and lower internal resistance without changing existing cathode lines. Energy Transition: Brazil’s electrified vehicle growth is already cutting gasoline/ethanol demand, with forecasts pointing to a longer-term decline even as GDP rises. AI Forecasting: Google DeepMind launched WeatherNext 3, aiming for sharper hourly global forecasts by learning from real-time satellite observations. Climate Risk: The UN weather agency warns “supersized” El Niño could be the strongest on record and persist into 2027, raising extreme-weather odds. Renewables in Practice: Spain-based Norvento Enerxía is expanding Latin America energy storage, while UK council approval clears a 15MW solar farm with biodiversity gains. Shipping & Trade: Yang Ming ordered six LNG dual-fuel LNG-ready container ships from Hanwha Ocean, and the UN is set to vote on a more proportionally accurate world map. Fintech/Banking: Banco do Brasil completed a $5M digitally native structured note deal via Euroclear’s blockchain-based platform.

AI Governance in the Caribbean: Jamaica’s Minister Andrew Wheatley urged CARICOM to coordinate AI rules so small states can shape regional standards. Climate & Food Security: A new ESA mission launching Sept. 15 will measure plant stress from space—aimed at earlier drought and heat warnings for crops across Latin America. El Niño Watch: Multiple reports warn this “supersized” El Niño could intensify extremes into 2027, with knock-on risks for regional economies and agriculture. Biodiversity Tracking: Live Ocean Foundation-backed satellite tagging of black petrel chicks is revealing surprising migration routes across the Pacific, with public follow-along for up to a year. Marine Conservation in Colombia: Wayuu fishers in La Guajira are rethinking shark hunting with research partnerships, safer practices, and sustainability measures after a 2021 ban. Venezuela Energy Deals: Eni and Chevron signed major upstream moves with PDVSA as the U.S. pushes investor confidence around its controversial Venezuela oil framework. Automation & Robotics: FANUC will showcase Physical AI-powered manufacturing at IMTS 2026, highlighting faster deployment of cobots and CNC systems. Tech IP in Gaming: QCI says its casino technology patent portfolio has topped 100 assets, spanning QR-enabled tracking and player analytics.

El Niño Watch: The UN’s weather agency says El Niño is “supersized” and could be the strongest in 70+ years, with near-100% odds it persists into February 2027—raising risks of heat, drought, floods, and storms across Latin America and beyond. Climate & Oceans: A separate marine heatwave report links warming seas to major ecosystem shakeups, including a record octopus bloom off England—another reminder of how fast food chains can flip. Biodiversity Breakthrough: Scientists report a newly identified gentoo penguin species from remote Kerguelen Islands, using genetics to show four distinct species where one was assumed. AI in Travel: Civitatis is integrating its booking catalog into ChatGPT and Claude to help users discover, check availability, and reserve without leaving the chat. Health & Safety: UNICEF estimates about 20 million children experienced online sexual abuse in a year across 21 countries, with most incidents occurring on social media. Brazil Tech/Healthcare: Cellgenic expands local commercial support in Brazil to back product distribution in permitted channels. Caribbean Business: Digicel appoints a new group chief business officer to expand enterprise offerings across the Caribbean and Central America.

AI & Governance in the Caribbean: Commonwealth officials urged coordinated AI governance across the region, with lawmakers stressing how to modernize parliamentary work without eroding democratic legitimacy. Public Health: A new Nature-backed project highlights a “double burden” for children in low- and middle-income countries, where childhood obesity is rising fast alongside persistent undernutrition. Fintech & Payments: Félix Pago raised $200M to scale WhatsApp-based remittances across Latin America and expand into lending and savings. Energy & Geopolitics (Venezuela): Venezuela’s US oil agreement targets 1.5M b/d output over 25 years, while Chevron moves to expand in the Orinoco Belt amid the deal’s political fallout. Mining & Materials (Brazil): St George Mining advances pilot-plant testwork for dual processing of Araxá rare earths and niobium. Tech for Gaming: spawnd pushes browser-based PC game demos using WebGL/WebGPU, aiming to cut installation friction for indie studios. Trade & Investment (Costa Rica): PROCOMER’s summit drew 40+ countries for thousands of B2B meetings, pitching Costa Rica as a sourcing and expansion hub.