Stories for March 2011

Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 20:45 UTC
US State Department will no longer comment Wikileaks cables

While offering a press conference in Washington DC, US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley refused to comment on the recently released Wikileaks cables that mention Argentina and said his government would refrain from doing so in the future.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 18:03 UTC
Nestor Kirchner government is more like “fascist brown shirts than left-wing”

Former Uruguayan Industry and Energy Minister, Jorge Lepra (*), described Néstor Kirchner’s government as ”fascist”, during a meeting with the US Embassy Chargé D'Affaires at Uruguay, James Nealon, in February 14, 2006, according to a cable revealed by Wikileaks in which Nealon reported to Washington the minister’s harsh words.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 05:22 UTC
Oil prices ease as OPEC begins talks to increase output replacing Libya

Oil dropped for a second day in New York as members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries considered talks about increasing production because violence is disrupting supplies from Libya.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 05:14 UTC
Argentina bans inflation from official jargon; inflation of synonyms

Next October Argentines will be going to the polls to vote for president and renew Congress which anticipates a rough political eight months, but before that the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has to weather a round of labour contracts which will be demanding strong adjustments because of the “prices distortion and dispersion” since the word ‘inflation’ has been erased from the official jargon.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 05:10 UTC
Wikileaks reveals Chilean government changed environment rules to please US interests

Wikileaks cables last week revealed that the U.S. Embassy in Santiago pressured Chilean government officials in 2009 to change environmental rules so that a controversial thermoelectric plant could be built.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:59 UTC
Magallanes region discusses gas prices with Chilean central government

Mining and Energy Minister Laurence Golborne met with the Citizens’ Assembly of Magallanes Region (ACM) (extreme south of Chile) after the first of a series of meetings intended to resolve the Magallanes’ gas subsidy controversy.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:51 UTC
Argentine highest court blasts CFK government for arbitrary distribution of state advertising

A milestone ruling from the Argentina's Supreme Court calls for the omission of discriminatory criteria and “reasonable balance” in the allocation of state advertising. The ruling stems from a 2006 injunction filed by Editorial Perfil, the country's largest magazine publisher, claiming arbitrary distribution of official advertising.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:46 UTC
Repsol will explore for oil in the North Slope of Alaska

Repsol, Spain’s main energy group will be investing a minimum of 768 million US dollars for the exploration of oil in the North Slope of Alaska. The operation is a joint venture with the Denver, Colorado US firms 70 & 148 LLC and GMT Exploration LLC, points out a release from Repsol.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:40 UTC
EC tries to downplay impact for farmers of an EU/Mercosur trade agreement

A trade agreement with Mercosur should not have to destroy the European beef industry, said on Tuesday a spokesperson for the European Community who added that such fears are ‘exaggerated’.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:39 UTC
European Parliament highly critical of EU/Mercosur trade talks

The European Parliament passed a highly critical report on trade negotiations between the EU and the Mercosur bloc for considering that they may imply “farming concessions damaging to European producers.”