Dealflow.la #79 - Jusfy 🇧🇷 Raises $5.18M, MercadoLibre 🇦🇷 Invests $3.4B in Mexico 🇲🇽, & Milei 🇦🇷 Eyes Mercosur Exit.

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Funding

Jusfy 🇧🇷 raised a $5.18M early‑stage VC round with funding from SaaSholic 🇧🇷, The LegalTech Fund 🇺🇸, Sun Moritz 🇧🇷, MAYA Capital 🇧🇷, and FJ Labs 🇺🇸 to build an all-in-one legal platform that offers comprehensive legal tools and consulting services. The company streamlines complex legal calculations and integrates essential software for lawyers, accountants, individuals, and businesses, simplifying legal processes and empowering users with efficient, consolidated legal solutions.

Acquisition News

• Mobly 🇧🇷 acquired Tok & Stok 🇧🇷, a retail chain specializing in home furniture and decor, offering durable, quality products at fair prices to expand its market presence by integrating a robust physical retail network with its online furniture and decoration operations.

• WiseTech Global 🇦🇺 acquired OpenTecnologia 🇨🇴, a provider of specialized software solutions for the logistics and business sectors, to enhance its CargoWise platform and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the international freight-forwarding market.

• Banco Santander Peru 🇵🇪 acquired Crediscotia Financiera 🇵🇪, a banking services provider in Peru offering a comprehensive range of products including loans, mortgages, credit/debit cards, savings accounts, fixed-term deposits, money transfers, and various insurance services through its agencies and ATMs to expand its retail banking portfolio and reinforce its market leadership in the Latin American region.

Startup & VC News

• MercadoLibre 🇦🇷 announced a $3.4B investment in Mexico to expand its tech and financial services, fueling job growth and strengthening its market presence by planning to onboard 10,000 new employees—marking a 38% increase over last year’s spending—as the company leverages its booming second-largest market amid tighter tariffs on Chinese competitors. (Reuters)

Sociopolitical News

🇦🇷 Argentina

• Argentina's president, Javier Milei, champions sweeping economic reforms to stabilize a volatile market. His policy push to reduce state size, streamline public finances, and secure a free trade agreement with the U.S. — coupled with imminent IMF negotiations — is poised to reshape the nation's economic landscape ahead of critical midterm elections. (Reuters)

• Argentina's president, Javier Milei, hints at a potential withdrawal from Mercosur to realign national economic priorities. He argues that the bloc has chiefly benefited Brazilian business interests while disadvantaging Argentines, and he is prepared to pursue a U.S.-aligned trade deal that might require exiting Mercosur. (El País)

🇧🇷 Brazil

• Brazil to scrap import tariffs on basic foodstuffs to help counter soaring food prices. The government is set to eliminate duties on essentials like sugar and sardines to ease inflationary pressures and rebalance trade dynamics. (Financial Times)

• Brazil's engagement with U.S. trade officials signals a potential softening of looming tariffs on key exports. A positive video call between Brazil’s Vice President and a senior U.S. trade adviser focused on U.S. tariff policy and continued dialogue, possibly paving the way for postponement of imminent steel and aluminum duties. (Reuters)

🇨🇱 Chile

• Chile’s Interior Minister’s resignation intensifies speculation over a potential presidential bid, signaling major political realignments. The move is interpreted as a strategic shift that could reshape the nation’s leadership dynamics and spur further electoral debate. (Bloomberg)

• Chile's accession to the European Extradition Convention bolsters international efforts against transnational crime. It streamlines extradition by obliging member states to cooperate under clear legal standards, extending Chile’s network beyond its existing bilateral treaties. (Minrel)

🇨🇴 Colombia

• Rice farmers' prolonged strike poses a critical threat to Colombia's food security and rural economy. The protest demands direct government intervention to stabilize rice prices and upgrade key infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need to protect thousands of livelihoods amid limited policy measures. (Semana)

• Fitch Ratings has downgraded Colombia’s outlook to negative amid mounting fiscal vulnerabilities. The move underscores concerns over widening budget deficits and high public debt that could spur higher borrowing costs and dampen investor confidence. (Bloomberg)

• Petro's push to legalize marijuana signals a transformative step in Colombia's approach to drug policy. He has called on Congress to enact reforms that could dismantle the illicit market while spurring economic opportunities and enhancing public security. (DW)

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

• Trump’s proposed dismantling of the U.S. Chips Act casts uncertainty over Costa Rica’s semiconductor investment strategy. Costa Rica, once seen as a prime destination for microprocessor production due to anticipated funding and training incentives, now faces potential setbacks as investors might redirect operations to the U.S. In response, the country is strengthening its talent development and regulatory measures to maintain its competitive edge. (El Financiero)

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

• Dominican Republic's $85M investment plan marks a pivotal step toward a sustainable energy transition. The initiative is set to unlock over $1.1 billion in private co-financing, modernize the nation's energy infrastructure, and support communities while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. (Diario Libre)

🇪🇨 Ecuador

• Ecuador awards a 20-year oil contract to a Sinopec-led consortium to boost output from its flagship Sacha block. The deal, which features a significant upfront cash payment and an additional multi-billion-dollar investment plan, is set to modernize the aging asset and significantly increase national revenues. (Reuters)

• Ecuador’s president grants a preventive pardon to police and military forces deployed in a high-violence zone to strengthen the fight against organized crime. The measure follows deadly clashes in Guayaquil that left 22 dead and is part of a broader security strategy amid rising concerns over human rights abuses. (Diario Las Américas)

🇸🇻 El Salvador

• El Salvador deepens its crypto strategy by boosting its bitcoin reserve amid international fiscal oversight. The country’s latest acquisition, which brings its holdings above 6,102 coins, aligns with conditions set under a recent IMF-backed program, reflecting its ongoing commitment to a cryptocurrency-driven economic model while managing external financial constraints. (Reuters)

🇬🇹 Guatemala

• Guatemala deploys troops to its border with Mexico to counter illegal migration and drug smuggling. The move is aimed at bolstering border security amid rising cross-border criminal activities and migration pressures. It reflects the government's proactive approach to addressing transnational security challenges. (Border Report)

🇭🇳 Honduras

• Chinese-Spanish group secures a strategic energy storage contract in Honduras. The win underscores a surge in international investments to modernize the nation’s energy infrastructure, bolstering grid reliability and supporting renewable growth. (BN Americas)

🇲🇽 Mexico

• Mexico to implement new tariff measures against the United States starting March 9, intensifying trade tensions. The decision is aimed at protecting domestic industries and may provoke further economic countermeasures. (HuffPost Global)

• Mexico weighs tariffs on Chinese imports, a move that could redefine its trade policies and signal a shift toward protectionism. The proposal is aimed at safeguarding domestic industries and curbing Chinese market influence, echoing strategies from past U.S. trade disputes. (La República)

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

• Nicaragua’s sweeping constitutional reforms further entrench authoritarian power and threaten fundamental rights. The proposed changes consolidate governmental control and erode democratic safeguards, drawing strong condemnation from human rights organizations ahead of the review by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. (CEJIL)

• Nicaragua’s leaders consolidate power by establishing a vast force of 76,800 paramilitaries, escalating authoritarian control. The strategic move intensifies concerns over democratic erosion and poses risks to regional stability, prompting alarm among human rights advocates. (El País)

🇵🇦 Panama

• BlackRock acquires Panamanian ports from Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison, marking a strategic shift in global infrastructure investments. The deal expands BlackRock’s logistics portfolio and underscores growing investor interest in Central American assets, potentially reshaping regional trade dynamics. (La República)

🇵🇾 Paraguay

• Paraguay and Germany solidify a new cooperation alliance during a high-level presidential visit, marking a pivotal step in strengthening bilateral relations. The engagement is set to enhance economic ties and foster strategic initiatives, potentially boosting trade and development projects between the two nations. (La República)

• Paraguay moves forward in strengthening drug price regulation to ensure affordable access amid rising costs. The initiative is designed to stabilize pharmaceutical prices and enhance public health safeguards by countering recent cost surges. (PAHO)

🇵🇪 Peru

• Telefonica Peru's loss declaration alongside a S/1153M payout to its parent company highlights a contentious financial maneuver. The significant transfer amid reported losses raises questions about internal fiscal policies and could undermine investor confidence. (Ojo Público)

🇻🇪 Venezuela

• Venezuelan rights group Provea reveals that 121 women are being politically detained, underscoring ongoing gender-specific repression. The disclosure, which highlights the detention of prominent activist Rocío San Miguel among others, raises serious concerns about human rights violations and due process in Venezuela. (W Radio)

• Maduro pursues new alliances with China and Turkey to counterbalance Chevron’s exit, aiming to stabilize Venezuela’s oil sector amid economic turmoil. The strategy, part of a broader plan for economic independence, seeks to mitigate the significant revenue shortfall caused by Chevron’s departure while addressing rising inflation and dwindling foreign currency reserves. (El País)

🇺🇸 Miami

• Saudi Arabia opens a new investment office in Miami to expand its financial outreach into the U.S. and South America. The initiative, announced by Minister of Investment Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih at a Miami summit, is part of a broader plan to boost trade and investment by $600B over the next four years. The move reinforces Miami’s status as an emerging global financial hub and deepens bilateral economic ties. (South Florida Business Journal)

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