Fitch Conference: Latin America Sovereign Hotspots

Fitch Ratings-New York-08 February 2008: Fitch Ratings will hold its annual Sovereign Hotspots Conference on Tuesday, Feb. 12, addressing Global and Latin America sovereign prospects for 2008. The conference will begin at 9:00AM EST, with registration beginning at 8:30. The half-day seminar will be introduced by Theresa Paiz-Fredel and Shelly Shetty, Senior Directors in Fitch's Latin America Sovereign Group, followed by in-depth senior analyst presentations on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. This event also includes a panel discussion of investors and area specialists on the outlook for Emerging Markets and Latin America in the year head, featuring Shamaila Khan, Managing Director, TIAA-CREF; David Rolley, Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Loomis Sayles; Carl W. Ross, Senior Managing Director, Bear Stearns; and Christopher Sabatini, Senior Director for Policy, Council of the Americas. Fitch Sovereign Hotspots 2008 will be held at The Warwick New York Hotel, 65 West 54th Street (at Avenue of the Americas), New York, New York 10019. The Hotspots Seminar is a free event, but seats are limited and therefore pre-registration is required. For details on how to register, please contact Frank Laurents at frank.laurents@fitchratings.com or +1 212-908-9127. Alternatively, visit the Fitch Ratings web site events page at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Members of the press are also welcome to attend and should contact Christopher Kimble in Fitch's New York Media Development at christopher.kimble@fitchratings.com, or +1 212-908-0226. Full Conference Agenda: 8:30 - 9:00am: Registration/Continental Breakfast 9:00 - 9:15am: Opening Remarks and Global Economic and Emerging Market Outlook - Theresa Paiz-Fredel, Senior Director 9:15 - 9:30am: Latin America: A Safe Haven? - Shelly Shetty, Senior Director 9:30 - 10:30am: Panel Discussion on Latin American and Emerging Market Prospects 10:30 - 10:45am: Coffee Break 10:45 - 11:00am: Chile: On Positive Outlook But Facing Challenges - Casey Reckman, Associate Director 11:00 - 11:20am: Mexico: What it Takes to be Rated 'A-' - Shelly Shetty, Senior Director 11:20 - 11:35am: Peru: The Next Investment Grade? - Theresa Paiz Fredel 11:35 - 12:00pm: Brazil: Can it Qualify for the Investment Grade League? - Shelly Shetty 12:00pm - 12:20pm: Argentina: Pushing the Limits of the Kirchner Model, and Venezuela: Credit Pressures Mounting - Erich Arispe, Associate Director 12:20 - 12:30pm: Q&A Contact: Frank Laurents, +1-212-908-9127, New York. Media Relations: Christopher Kimble, New York, Tel: +1 212-908-0226. Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, 'www.fitchratings.com'. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.