Jeronimo Gonzalez

2 weeks ago | semafor.com | Jeronimo Gonzalez

India is ramping up its Latin America presence to tap the region’s vast mineral reserves, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing a “new energy” in relations. New Delhi’s green targets have fed a push for greater access to key minerals such as copper and lithium, used in renewables technologies, with Chile a particular target: Modi recently met with Chile’s leader and hosted a meeting of Latin American businesses, and India has been expanding its continental embassy network in recent years.

2 weeks ago | semafor.com | Jeronimo Gonzalez

South Africa is among the nations that have sought counsel from Goldman Sachs on how to improve ties with Washington. According to The Wall Street Journal, the bank advised Pretoria — which has been in the White House’s crosshairs for months over its close ties to Russia and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice — to scrap a law that requires Black ownership of some businesses as a way to get into the Trump administration’s good graces.

2 weeks ago | semafor.com | Jeronimo Gonzalez

Uganda declared an end to its latest Ebola outbreak, three months after officials confirmed cases of the deadly disease. The health ministry said Uganda had gone more than 40 days without registering a new case. Ebola outbreaks are frequent in Uganda, where the virus thrives in its many tropical forests, and which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the disease is also common.

2 weeks ago | semafor.com | Jeronimo Gonzalez

Kenya bolstered trade ties with both the European Union and China in the face of tariff threats from the US — its second-biggest export market. The EU said it expects trade between the bloc and Africa’s sixth-biggest economy to double after signing a duty-free trade agreement. Meanwhile Nairobi upgraded its ties to Beijing to “a new level” after a meeting between the countries’ leaders in China.

2 weeks ago | semafor.com | Jeronimo Gonzalez

South Africa abandoned plans to increase its value-added tax, after a proposed hike threatened to break up the country’s governing coalition. The pro-business Democratic Alliance, the second-biggest member of the ruling alliance, had challenged the tax rise in court and opposed its inclusion in the budget, which the African National Congress only passed with the help of smaller parties.