Politics

• Sunday, January 26th 2014 - 12:17 UTC

  Spain has “not taken one step back” regarding its Gibraltar policy, rather the contrary

  

  The Spanish Government has “not taken any step back” in relation to its Gibraltar policy “but it has taken many steps forward”, the country’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo has declared. Despite the issue having dropped profile in the news since recent weeks, it is an issue “permanently” on the Spanish agenda, the Spanish official told Onda Cero radio.

• Sunday, January 26th 2014 - 12:06 UTC

  Maduro sets limits on company profits and prison terms for hoarding or over charging

  

  Venezuela decreed a new price control law that sets limits on company profits and establishes prison terms for those charged with hoarding or over-charging, part of populist President Nicolas Maduro's efforts to tame inflation.

• Sunday, January 26th 2014 - 04:15 UTC

  Brazil: Hundreds protest against the World Cup

  

  Waving flags, carrying banners and chanting “there will be no Cup” at least 1,000 demonstrators protested in Sao Paulo on Saturday against the World Cup that Brazil will host later this year in a demonstration that devolved into violence late in the night.

• Saturday, January 25th 2014 - 03:25 UTC

  Argentina rolls back dollar restrictions hoping to contain market volatility; Monday test day

  

  Argentina lifted on Friday restrictions on personal US dollar purchases for citizens, ending a prohibition on greenback savings that began at the end of 2011. The new measures, which occur one day after both the official and parallel 'blue' dollar saw record rises, were announced in a short press conference by Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich and Economy Minister Axel Kicillof. The measures become effective from Monday onwards.

• Saturday, January 25th 2014 - 00:28 UTC

  Mantega insists that the Mercosur/EU trade agreement includes Argentina

  

  Mercosur is preparing for trade negotiations with the European Union and they include Argentina, said on Friday Brazilian finance minister Guido Mantega at the World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland. The comment seems to contradict other recent statements which said the trade deal with the EU will go forward with or without a reluctant Argentina.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 03:35 UTC

  Mercosur/EU with their own problems still don't have a date to continue negotiations

  

  Mercosur and the European Union continue to work on their tariff reduction proposals list but have no scheduled date for negotiators to meet and advance on a long delayed trade agreement according to Uruguayan diplomatic sources. However what is certain is that when the date is agreed it will be clear if Mercosur consensus proposal will include all founding members of the group.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 03:33 UTC

  Ecuador airline suspends flights to Venezuela because of tickets' debts

  

  Ecuadorean airline Tame has suspended flights to Venezuela, demanding 43m dollars in overdue payments for tickets. Some 80 passengers were left stranded on Thursday at the airport in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito. Tame says the Venezuelan Central Bank has not transferred any money to its account in Ecuador since April 2013.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 03:31 UTC

  Discos are common in Venezuelan penitentiaries, admits minister

  

  Discotheques have long operated inside Venezuelan penitentiaries, the head of the country's prison service said Thursday in response to a public uproar over the death of a young man after partying at a disco behind bars.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 02:15 UTC

  Argentina: in chaotic trading dollar jumps 12.4% in one day to 8 Pesos in the official market

  

  In a day of chaotic trading the Argentine Peso on Thursday again plummeted against the US dollar losing 12.4% of its value in the official market, ending the day at just over 8 Pesos. In earlier operations the dollar was selling at 8,31 Pesos until the Central bank decided to intervene helping to cool the market.

• Friday, January 24th 2014 - 02:09 UTC

  Argentine 2013 trade surplus down 27%, helping with the dollar shortage

  

  Argentina's trade balance during 2013 left of surplus of 9.24 billion dollars, 27% less than in the previous year (12.42bn), according to the latest release from the official stats office, indec. Exports in the past year grew by 3% to reach a value of 83bn dollars, while imports rose by 8% and totaled just over 74bn.