The world watches post-Chávez Venezuela

President Hugo Chávez revolutionised life for some of the poorest in Venezuela, but also placed a heavy burden of foreign debt on the country’s economy. How will his successor approach these issues?

President eyes growth outside Ecuador's capitalist model

On the eve of his re-election, Ecuador's president Rafael Correa spoke exclusively to The Banker about why his new economic model is giving the country a more sustainable alternative to the "social holocaust" unleashed by capitalism. 

Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada takes cautious approach over Cuba's potential oil riches

With Cuba facing another round of austerity measures, its population is pinning its hopes on vast quantities of oil being found in the drilling operations going on off the country's coast. However, the president of its national assembly remains cautious about any potential oil boom, and stresses that the country cannot neglect its agriculture and business sectors.

Panama's president means business

With an economy on the rise and an influx of new foreign investment, Panama's businessman-turned-president Ricardo Martinelli is planning to push on with taking advantage of the country's location and expanding the Panama Canal, as more ships look to transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 

Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite on the future of the euro

Lithuania's president, Dalia Grybauskaite, tells The Banker of the importance for governments to balance their books, her prediction on the future of the euro and her country's commitment to common, coordinated governance with its partners and neighbours.

Frugal Estonia's digital route to recovery

Estonian prime minister Andrus Ansip talks to Hugh O'Shaughnessy about the country's e-revolution, the power of its ID card, and the decision to reduce taxes for business and private citizens.

The power behind Bolivia's new energy

Bolivia is barely recognisable from the state it was in 20 years ago - it now has a budget surplus and a store of foreign currency, and there are even plans to make the country an export hub for electric power and natural gas. Hugh O'Shaughnessy met Bolivia's vice-president Álvaro García Linera to discuss the country's prospects.

The social business of Brazil's enterprises

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of BrazilBrazil is widely tipped for economic greatness. Its leader revealed the vision behind the country's moves to growth during a keynote speech at a recent Financial Times investment conference.

A small voice shouting loudly

David Thompson - Barbados' prime ministerUnimpressed by the lack of representation for the world's smaller nations at the G-20 summit in London in April, Barbados' prime minister David Thompson took it upon himself to visit the city and tell the world of the plight of his country and others in the Caribbean. Writer Hugh O' Shaughnessy