A serious deterioration is taking place under the surface of the Uruguayan economy and when the current inflow of foreign capital reverts, the country is going to suffer unpleasant shocks with a strong rise in the price of the US dollar and an increase in inflation, according to a report from the US based BCP Securities.
Five Argentine and Chilean Patagonia ports have teamed up to promote their tourism attractions and potential for the cruise industry by launching a hardcover limited edition book (1.000), in English and Spanish, with digital support under the heading of “Patagonia, cruises destination”.
The ‘parallel’ or ‘blue’ dollar in Argentina which last week soared day after day to reach on Friday a record 9.30 Pesos, on Monday edged down four cents to 9.26 Pesos while the official ‘dollar’ remained stable at 5.13 and 5.19 Pesos (buying and selling).
The Argentine government is considering different options to contain the current skyrocketing of the US dollar, but according to the financial media there are different positions in the cabinet of President Cristina Fernandez. One of those calls for direct interventions while the other adopts a more passive attitude saying the issue is speculative and ‘marginal’.
Argentina which the IMF censured for underreporting inflation less than three months ago after three warnings over the past two years, last week authorized the deposit of 400 million dollars with the Washington-based lender to increase the nation’s access to emergency cash.
Italy's new government line-up brings together personalities from across the political spectrum, from Silvio Berlusconi's apparent successor to a crime fighter and a militant feminist from the radical party. Some of the key names of the ‘grand coalition’ members tasked with tackling the social and economic crisis in recession-hit Italy-.
Europe is expected to accelerate a shift away from its austerity-first agenda this week as the new Italian government changes course and a German-Spanish investment pact underscores a renewed focus on combating record unemployment. This comes on the background of much criticized statements from European Commission president Jose Barroso who said ‘austerity was over’.
Deposits of Uruguayans in overseas banks experienced a drop in the last quarter of 2012, the second consecutive fall (3%), and now stand at 7.18bn dollars according to preliminary data released by the Bank for International Settlements.
The US dollar in the ‘blue’ or parallel market kept climbing in Argentina ending a week of consecutive records reaching on Friday 9.30 and 9.34 Pesos (buying and selling price) 14 cents more than on Thursday. Since the beginning of the year the US dollar has climbed 36.97% while the official rate stands at 5.18 Pesos, with an increase of only 5.3%.
The Spanish National Statistics Institute, INE, reported on Thursday that the nation's unemployment rate shot up from 26.02% in the last quarter of 2012 to 27.16% in the first three months of this year. This is approximately 6.2 million Spaniards are out of a job. Youth unemployment stands at 57%.