Stories for January 11th 2012
Brazil targets record harvest of 160.3 million tons of grains and oilseeds in 2012
The Brazilian government lowered 0.1% its estimate for the 2012 harvest that should reach 160.3 million tons, considered a record volume. Overall this year’s harvest should be 0.3% above the 159.9 million tons of 2011, according to data from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Office, IBGE.
EU warns Euro crisis is not over and asks for patience with Greece
Greece is nearing an agreement with private-sector bond holders on a debt swap crucial to a second bailout package for Athens, the European Union's top economic official said on Tuesday.
Falklands' conflict Harrier fleet sold to the US Marines for spares
The fleet of vertical take-off Harrier aircraft, a crucial weapon in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict has been sold to support the US Marine Corps in a deal worth £110m, reports the British press.
Argentina imposes new restrictions to slow consumer goods’ imports
Argentina will impose new restrictions on consumer goods’ imports, according to a resolution from the Revenue Office published this week in the Official Gazette and effective next February first.
Argentine farm leader says Agriculture minister is not qualified and knows little about droughts
An Argentine farmers’ leader said that Agriculture Minister Norberto Yauhar who tried to downplay the seriousness of the current drought for crops, “is not qualified for the job, plus knows very little about droughts”.
Latin America a “top priority” for President Rajoy’s foreign policy
Spanish president Mariano Rajoy said that Latin America is a “top priority” of his administration’s foreign policy and his target is to have the “best possible” relations with the Ibero-American community.
A divided EU to decide on oil embargo on Iran January 23
European Union governments agreed Tuesday to bring forward a meeting of foreign ministers expected to decide on an oil embargo on Iran by one week to January 23. In its statement confirming the date, the EU said the decision to bring it forward from January 30 was taken to avoid a scheduling clash with a summit of EU leaders set for that day.
Brazil runs the risk of becoming highly dependent on natural-resources exports
A leading Brazilian economist Edmar Bacha, one of the architects behind the 1994 Plan Real to stabilize Latin America’s largest economy said the country was at risk of becoming entirely dependent on natural resources exports and urged greater savings to invest in diversification.
Chilean Patagonia in the 2012 top ten travel destinations of the New York Times
Chile has been included in the New York Times’ list of top travel destinations in 2012, with Chilean Patagonia in 8th place, and Chiloé in 37th place out of a total of 45.
Argentina says no change in Mercosur decision to bar Falklands’ flagged vessels
Argentina in two brief statements said on Tuesday that there has been no change in Mercosur members’ position to bar Falklands’ flagged vessels from the region’s ports and that the United Kingdom admits that such policy has become effective.
