When one thinks of Latin America the first things that often come to mind are poverty, political unrest and corruption.  Economists Jorge Suarez and Aurturo Porenaske stated on CNN that in economic terms Latin America is currently better off than the U.S. With the exception of Argentina their statement is true. The investment climate and consumer confidence remain strong in the region. The banking industry also remains solid. Venezuela has the least expensive gasoline in the world and Brazil is almost exclusively reliant on ethanol. Smaller countries like Costa Rica are also less severely effected by economic downturns than larger industrial nations like the U.S. They also find it easier to roll with the punches.