http://robertgirga.com/RobertGirga/collapse-of-largest-colombian-brokerage-house/ Collapse Of Largest Colombian Brokerage House The collapse of the largest Colombian brokerage house, Interbolsa, has not affected other investment houses. Colombian Finance Minister, Mauricio Cardenas, stated Interbolsa is liquidating stocks and paying off investors. The fact that the collapse of Interbolsa did not provoke a domino effect in other brokerages provides a note of optimism for those interested in investment in Colombia specifically and investing in Latin American in general. Liquidity problems in the range of 20 billion pesos or just over $10 million in US dollars lead to the firm’s demise. The Interbolsa Group has more assets than just the brokerage house. Interbolsa manages funds in the USA, Panama, and Brazil. In addition runs an insurance brokerage firm. Regional Investment Investment in this region has stepped up as the decades-long civil war in Colombia winds to a conclusion. Colombian peace talks started recently in Denmark bringing the Bogota government and the FARC rebels together at the peace table. The next round is due to begin in Cuba. Panama has been a leader in regional investment as the nation leads all of Latin America in per-capital foreign investment. In addition, public works projects drive growth in Panama as the nation builds its first subway system and the Panama Canal Expansion project moves toward a 2015 conclusion. While investments in stocks in Panama may be attractive to some there are more attractive investment opportunities for those willing to look. One of these is repossessed property. Picking up the Pieces (of Property) An attractive investment opportunity in Colombia or Panama is repossessed property. Although both economies are growing there is always a predictable rate of failure of small businesses and there are always those who bite off more than they can chew when buying residential property. Panama repossessed mortgages are available from the various banks in the country. Often times it is hard to get a hold of the pertinent information and then it is in Spanish. However, Robert Girga has collected the pertinent information about repossessed property in Panama and has made it available to members on the www.RobertGirga.com web site. Investors can bid on available properties, often times winning with a bid below the suggested price. If the investor is not comfortable with property evaluations in Panama Robert Girga can provide someone who will scout out properties, check out neighborhoods, and identify good investments. Back to Colombia Despite the business failure of the largest brokerage house in the country of Colombia, business and investment opportunities abound in this region. Both Panama and Colombia have finalized free trade agreements with the United States. This means that items from the USA can be imported duty free. Investors will be wise to scout out opportunities at the junction of North