Stories for March 2014

Friday, March 21st 2014 - 06:05 UTC
Bolivian senate to vote full incorporation to Mercosur in April

The Bolivian Senate is expected to vote next month for the full incorporation of the country to Mercosur, thus complying with some of the last steps to join the group made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Friday, March 21st 2014 - 05:56 UTC
Argentina's grain shipping blocked by vessel grounded in the Paraná

Argentina's river Paraná is blocked since early March when a Cypriot flagged vessel broke down with a 45.000 tons cargo of soybeans, thus holding back access of another eighty vessels waiting to load in Rosario and other ports in the heartland of the grains and oilseeds country.
Friday, March 21st 2014 - 01:20 UTC
Mujica confirms Uruguay will accept Guantanamo prisoners as 'refugees'

President Jose Mujica confirmed that Uruguay has agreed with the United States to accept some prisoners held in the much-criticized detention center at the US military base of Guantanamo Bay, but he also cautioned that “everything has a bill”.
Thursday, March 20th 2014 - 07:11 UTC
Argentina secures French support for its ongoing litigations with hedge funds

President Cristina Fernández praised the decision by France to file an 'amicus curiae' brief before the US Supreme Court, in a show of support to Argentina in its long-standing battle against speculative fund creditors, and also secured the backing of the French government to settle a 9.5bn dollars dispute with the Paris Club.
Thursday, March 20th 2014 - 07:02 UTC
Argentina blasts double-standard in addressing Crimea and Malvinas

The Ukraine question must be settled through political negotiations and peace, President Cristina Fernández said at a press conference in Paris where she arrived this week to meet with her French counterpart Francois Hollande.
Thursday, March 20th 2014 - 06:57 UTC
Dilma Rousseff questioned on “flawed” report that cost Petrobras 1.2bn

A scandal surrounding the costly acquisition of a Texas oil refinery by Brazilian state-run energy company Petrobras years ago resurfaced Wednesday after new questions arose about President Dilma Rousseff’s handling of the deal, which involved a sum of 1.2bn dollars.
Thursday, March 20th 2014 - 06:46 UTC
Pope Francis meets Malvinas war veterans and next of kin

Pope Francis met on Wednesday with a group of Malvinas veterans and next of kin of fallen in the Malvinas war, two weeks before the 32nd anniversary of the Argentine military invasion of the conflict.
Thursday, March 20th 2014 - 03:28 UTC
Malvinas: Argentina understands UK's insistence on tripartite talks, “but UN resolutions prevent it”

The Telegraph published a long interview with Daniel Filmus recently appointed to head the Argentine government newly created Malvinas Islands Related Issues Secretariat in which he repeats many of the arguments of the Cristina Fernandez administration campaign referred to the Falklands sovereignty claim, using such words as 'colonialism' and 'militarization', and attacking UK's refusal to sit and dialogue as indicated by UN resolutions.
Thursday, March 20th 2014 - 03:26 UTC
US Fed hints interest rates could start to rise in early 2015 as jobs picture improves

The US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen hinted on Wednesday that interest rates in the US could start to rise in early 2015, that is six months after it halts its monthly bond-buying program. Ms Yellen made the remarks after the Fed said it will scale back bond purchases by a further 10bn dollars per month.
Wednesday, March 19th 2014 - 07:30 UTC
A Vazquez victory forecasted in Uruguay but with 'orthodox economics' threatened

The Economist Intelligence Unit anticipates a 2015 scenario in which Tabaré Vazquez from the ruling coalition will most probably be president, but in a situation quite different from that of his first mandate (2005/2010) if he insists in implementing orthodox economics.