Latin America’s 2012 Energy Outlook
No issue in Latin America this year may be more fraught with volatility than energy.
The Mayan calendar prophesied the end of the world this December. But for Latin America’s energy scene, the year is shaping up to be anything but a march toward the end of time. There are several themes to consider as 2012 unfolds.
For starters, the year counts several elections with important geopolitical and energy implications. Without Leonel Fernandez on the ballot, residents of the Dominican Republic will choose from a new slate of candidates in May. Mexico goes to the polls on July 1st to choose Felipe Calderon’s successor. In October, Venezuela conducts another referendum on Hugo Chavez’s 21st Century Socialism. November’s election in the United States will decide the fate of Barack Obama’s presidency.
The topic of unconventional sources of hydrocarbons remains vital. What these long-unexploited resources are now doing to upend the conventional wisdom when it comes to energy policy debates across the hemisphere shows no sign of abating. Indeed, the focus on shale gas and its potential will continue to impact natural gas and liquefied natural gas developments across the hemisphere.
Read more from Jeremy Martin of the Institute of the Americas of HERE