☀ Domingo Brief — Bukele’s Crypto Romance Continues

Welcome back to the Domingo Brief! This week, we’re following Amazon’s big bet in Mexico, Cuba’s prisoner release deal, and more.

Trivia of the Week 🎯

Over half of you (56%) correctly guessed Dorados de Sinaloa as the professional Mexican soccer team Argentine legend Diego Maradona briefly managed during his career. He was appointed manager of the Culiacán-based team in September 2018, with the club competing in Mexico’s second division. After failing to clinch promotion to the Mexican top division, Maradona stepped down from the role in June 2019. While broadly unsuccessful, this managerial stint still inspired Netflix to create a documentary following Maradona’s time with Dorados, Maradona in Mexico.

Each week, tune back in for the answer to the previous week’s trivia question. No cheating!

🇦🇷 Argentina achieved its largest trade surplus in history last year, according to a Reuters analyst poll released this week. The economic milestone was driven by a boost in grain and energy exports, capitalizing on vast shale reserves in the Patagonia Vaca Muerta region and aided by relaxed currency controls and favorable weather. Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has vowed to make the country a net energy exporter, aided in part by its rich lithium reserves essential for electric battery manufacturing.

🇧🇷 Brazilian development bank BNDES approved a $165M loan to energy company Raízen to spur production of more sustainable ethanol. The proceeds will finance the building of an ethanol plant in São Paulo which aims to produce sustainable aviation fuel and green hydrogen, the first of six facilities planned by Raízen. This step marks recent efforts by BNDES to promote business plans aimed at transforming strategic materials in Brazil, deploying nearly $1B in credit lines and equity participation across research and development and decarbonization.

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