Stories for March 14th 2009
Debate on Chile’s energy options - Faced with climate change, World Bank recommends hydroelectricity
As evidence of global warming continues to mount, the world community is coming ever closer to a consensus on the issue, agreeing that climate change is very much real and that it must – before its already present effects worsen – be urgently addressed.
Paraguay is asking Brazil to pay 16 times more for Itaipú energy
Paraguay is a poor country and is fighting for a fair market price for its share of energy generated at South America’s largest hydroelectric dam shared with Brazil. “Somehow we are subsidizing Brazil’s energy”, said Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo in an interview with the Spanish daily El Mundo.
US and EU split over stimulus plans and banks
United Kingdom Chancellor Alistair Darling has played down talk of rifts between the US and Europe ahead of the G20 summit. Finance ministers from leading countries are gathering in London to agree the agenda for the summit of world leaders next month.
Trade commitments ease Venezuela’s access to Mercosur
Venezuela and Paraguay closed this week a round of business negotiations to boost bilateral trade which will become effective once Venezuela is formally incorporated to Mercosur, it was reported in Asunción.
Tax havens agree to relax bank secrecy laws
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed announcement that Switzerland is relaxing key bank secrecy laws as “the beginning of the end of tax havens.”
Lula da Silva confident of US recovery but cautious about protectionism
Brazilian President Lula da Silva said on Friday that counteracting the global credit crunch and preventing a wave of protectionism will be high on the agenda when he meets US President Barack Obama on Saturday.
Obama sends Biden and Hillary on Latinamerican offensive
President Barack Obama administration has begun moving on several fronts to repair strained US relations with Latin America. Obama meets Saturday at the White House with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and he is sending Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Latin American missions to prepare for the mid-April Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.
Washington reassures bond holder China that the US is “a credible nation”
The White House has sought to assure China that its one trillion US dollars in investments in the United States is safe despite the economic downturn.
Spanish congressional consensus for talks on Gibraltar sovereignty
Intense and at times fiercely debated discussions led to Spain’s governing party the PSOE convincing the PP opposition and other parties to join in a consensus motion on Spain’s approach to the Gibraltar question, it emerged this week according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Lula da Silva, Biden and PM Brown confirmed for political summit in Chile
Under the logo “A Progressive response to the global crisis” Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will host next March 27 and 28 a new Progressive Leaders summit to which top international leaders from Africa, Latinamerica, United states and Europe have confirmed their participation.
