Google to invest $1.2B in Latin America

Google will invest $1.2 billion over five years in Latin America to encourage digital investment and skills, CEO Sundar Pichai announced Thursday.

The investment highlights Latin America’s increasing relevance as a market for digital growth. Pichai stated in a blog post that the money will go toward online training courses, digital infrastructure, and startup and NGO support.

Google says it plans to increase its engineering presence in Brazil. Google is constructing a subsea cable that, if complete in 2023, will connect the United States to Argentina.

One million people in Latin America will get scholarships from the firm for Google Career Certificates, which prepare students for careers in project management and IT.

The charitable arm of Google, Google.org, will provide $250 million in donated ads and $50 million in cash contributions to NGOs that promote sustainability and economic opportunity for wome