Country is catching up, not over-extending itself, say analysts

A rare combination of strong economic growth and falling inflation has helped Colombia to outperform its Latin American peers in the latest results of the Euromoney Country Risk survey, despite its borrowing costs remaining higher than those of other Latin American sovereigns.

Country risk scores are improving steadily across the top tier of Latin American borrowers, including Chile, which now has a score consistent with a triple-A rating. Brazil has fallen two places in the table as concerns grow that the economy is overheating, while Colombia scores ahead of Mexico and Panama in the list of the continent’s safe havens. Andrew Mortimer reports.

Thailand’s Euromoney Country Risk score has steadily deteriorated since September 2010, reflecting analysts’ concerns about the policies of the Puea Thai (PT) party and possible violence between the country’s political factions.