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New row over Colombia-US accord
Colombian opposition groups have reacted angrily after details of a controversial military deal with the US were made public.
Argentina after an agreement with the IMF at the G20 Scotland meeting
Argentina’s Economy Minister Amado Boudou travels to Scotland Thursday where he will participate in a meeting with his G-20 counterparts. Boudou is also scheduled to meet with International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Argentina/Brazil trade dispute: partners can’t agree who’s to blame
Argentina has accused Brazil of not keeping to agreed “self regulated” bilateral trade understandings originally destined as an umbrella for Argentine industry, and instead has resorted to customs barriers which are delaying or impeding exports.
Brazil fears a “bubble” pumped by exuberant investors; Real 19% too strong
Brazilian central bank President Henrique Meirelles admitted “exuberant” investors might create an asset bubble in Latinamerica’s biggest economy.
Crucial “reconciliation day” for Honduras political crisis
“We believe Honduran President (Manuel) Zelaya should be restored to power,“ State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters on Wednesday, but he added that Washington was focused on implementing the whole agreement reached over the weekend and the process was “now for Hondurans to decide”.
Brazil’s reserves reach new record in October: 232.9 billion US dollars
Brazil’s foreign reserves totaled 232.9 billion US dollars at the end of October, up from 224.2 billion at the end of September. In the first ten months of 2009, reserves were up 26.1 billion. Reserves ended last year at 206.8 billion.
Petrobras receives Chinese financing to develop sub-salt oil resources
Brazil’s government managed oil and gas group Petrobras announced Wednesday it had signed a contract permitting the first payment from a 10 billion US dollar loan from China to help it finance upcoming investments.
Fed leaves rates unchanged and admits businesses are still “cutting back”
The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee kept US interest rates on hold at between 0% and 0.25%, as had been widely expected. Despite the US economy growing 3.5% in July to September - its first expansion since June 2008 - rates were left unchanged on Wednesday to further aid the recovery.
Squid landings in Argentine ports down 74% to 65.983 tons
Fisheries landings in Argentine ports during the first ten months of the year were down 31% to 576,623.7 tons (from 832.655 tons) mainly because of the significant decline in squid catches.
US dollar falls to lowest rate in a year vis-à-vis the Chilean Peso
The US dollar fell to an exchange rate of Chilean Pesos 528 on Tuesday, the lowest rate since September 2008, a tendency confirmed in Wednesday’s trading. Since the beginning of 2009, the dollar has fallen 113 Chilean pesos.
