PODER Celebrates First Anniversary With Launch of PODER in English and Partnership With the Economist.

Business Editors

MIAMI BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 29, 2002

PODER is launching an English-language version of its pan-regional business magazine September 18 in New York City. CNN's Aaron Brown will be the keynote speaker at the launch party.

PODER in English targets decision-makers in Washington and on Wall Street. "There is great interest from financial markets to participate in and to understand the volatility of Latin America. However, there have not yet been quality products available for them to read in their own language," noted Alberto Peisach, member of the board of directors of Zoom Media Group, publishers of PODER.

With regular contributions from Peter Katel, former correspondent for TIME in Latin America, Jose de Cordoba of the Wall Street Journal and author Olga Wornat, among others, PODER in English will continue the proud tradition established by PODER. The year-old Spanish version of PODER was recently awarded the Grand Prize for Press Freedom by the Inter American Press Association for an article on the Tijuana drug cartel written by Jesus Blancornelas, editor of ZETA newspaper in Tijuana.

"A free and independent press has the power to change the world by confronting the powerful with the truth," said Robert Cox, President of IAPA. "PODER has already demonstrated its power to change the world for the better by giving space to some of the best journalists in Latin America. They have been able to write in PODER about issues that are hushed up in their own countries. With the launch of PODER in English, the power of independent journalism will have a hemisphere-wide reach. PODER is responding to the challenge to expand the free flow of ideas and remove economic, social and political barriers to progress in the Americas. This new surge of PODER comes at a time when Latin Americans have good reason to feel that they are being neglected, if not abandoned, by a preoccupied U.S. government."

Eduardo Vargas, Chairman for Latin America of BBDO Worldwide said, "PODER has already established itself as the business magazine of choice for top decision makers in Latin America, and I am confident that PODER in English will quickly establish itself and build a reputation for premier journalism in the U.S."

PODER also announced a partnership with The Economist through which PODER will become the exclusive content distributor for that publication in Mexico. As of October, PODER and PODER in English will carry content from The Economist.

Bill Emmott, editor-in-chief of The Economist will be the keynote speaker at events sponsored by PODER in Miami November 7 and in Mexico City November 8.