Brazil's government just met its inflation target for 2011, which was a surprise victory forPresident Dilma Rousseff and for a central bank that struggled for most of the year with rising food and commodities prices. However it is the highest inflation since 2004.
Jamaica's new Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has said she intends to make the island a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth as the head of state. In her inaugural address, Ms Simpson Miller said the time had come for Jamaica to break with the British monarchy and have its own president.
Latin America trade with India could go up to 50 billion dollars by 2014 on the back of projected high economic growth in both the regions, said R. Viswanathan, India's ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
The Euro is likely to survive 2012 despite the debt crisis in the Euro currency zone, according to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez named as Defence minister General Henry Rangel Silva, who the United States has described as a “drug kingpin” linked to cocaine smuggling from neighbouring Colombia.
Two companies involved in electronics announced investments of 450 million Argentine Pesos (over 100 million dollars) in Tierra del Fuego for the production of electrical appliances.
President Barack Obama kicked off an effort to encourage US businesses to keep jobs at home instead of outsourcing them overseas, as he rolled out a new election-year theme aimed at courting middle-class voters.
Chilean artist and storyteller Victor Arriagada died last week following a long struggle with leukaemia. He leaves behind a legacy of characters, stories and artwork which will continue to thrill readers for decades to come.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñera invoked anti-terror legislation after at least six fire-fighters died in a wildfire he believes was started deliberately.
The US Government said they are closely following the evolution of President Cristina Fernández health after she underwent surgery to remove a thyroid tumour, and highlighted the Argentine leader’s “very good” relationship with Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.