Politics

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 07:46 UTC

  Tierra del Fuego applauds end of dollar clamp in Argentina but cautions about domestic and Mercosur tourists

  

  Tierra del Fuego tourism industry praised the Argentine government's decisions to end the dollar clamp and make more transparent the foreign money exchange because “this will make the country, and Tierra del Fuego, highly competitive internationally”. However they also cautioned that consideration must be given to domestic and regional tourists which make up almost 45% of the number of the people visiting the extreme south of Argentina.

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 07:31 UTC

  Argentina issues US$ 5bn in bonds to pay importers; some restrictions persist

  

  The Argentine government will issue bonds worth US$5 billion to be auctioned this week to pay back debt from imports during the previous Cristina Fernandez administration, according to a resolution published by the current government.

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 07:14 UTC

  Argentina's MOU with Iran sponsored by Cristina Fernandez, dropped by Macri

  

  Argentina's divisive 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran was finally dropped became after Argentine Federal Judges Juan Carlos Gemignani and Angela Ledesma accepted a request filed by the president Mauricio Macri administration Justice Ministry to drop the Executive’s appeal to the Federal Cassation Court.

• Monday, December 28th 2015 - 07:00 UTC

  Malvinas 'a constitutional issue, not optional'; plans for a South Atlantic secretariat which includes Antarctica

  

  Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra stated that the conflict with the United Kingdom over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands sovereignty is “a constitutional issue, not optional”, and described the position of the former Cristina Fernandez administration on the matter as “too tough”, while pledging that the “conflict must and will be integrated into a wider perspective”.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 11:23 UTC

  Merry Christmas from MercoPress

  

  MercoPress wishes a Happy Holiday Season to all its readers and sponsors!

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 11:11 UTC

  Capital-strapped Petrobras wants to extend oil and gas fields contracts

  

  Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras will have to agree to extract at least 900 million barrels more of oil and natural gas equivalent from its Marlim and Voador offshore oil fields to win early renewal of its concession rights, oil regulator ANP said.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 10:34 UTC

  Argentina begins round of negotiations on prices; unions demanding bonus to counter inflation

  

  The Argentine government of president Mauricio Macri started a round of negotiations with big price setters as part of its bid to keep prices under control despite the recent devaluation of the peso. Domestic Trade Secretary Miguel Braun and Central Bank Governor Federico Sturzenegger met with the top representatives of the Argentine Chamber of Commerce (CAC) and representatives from medium-sized companies, who asked for cheap credit in exchange for the government’s goal of keeping prices in check.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 08:57 UTC

  Brazilian economy will contract 3.6% this year confirms Central bank

  

  Brazil's economy will shrink 3.6% this year and inflation will come in at 10.8%, according to a Central Bank report released Wednesday. The bank expects a continued recession in 2016, albeit with a less severe contraction of 1.9%, and an inflation rate of 6.2%.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 08:14 UTC

  Malcorra tries to build a consensus on 'State objectives' with former ministers

  

  In another attempt to display unity and consensus on 'State objectives' policy, Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra welcomed six of her predecessors for lunch and a “frank” exchange of points of view on Argentina’s foreign policy.

• Thursday, December 24th 2015 - 08:08 UTC

  Italy's PM Rienzi looks to Spain and warns about the results of austerity in political systems

  

  After Spain's elections on Sunday left the ruling Popular Party and president Mariano Rajoy well short of an absolute majority, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi argued this showed Europe does not want austerity, and those who apply them, even successful, are knocked out politically.