Stories for 2011

Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 00:54 UTC
Chile extends foreign exchange market intervention program to tame strong peso

The Chilean central bank announced Tuesday it would maintain the pace of a 12 billion US dollars foreign exchange intervention to tame the strong peso between Feb. 9 and March 8, and continue to buy 50 million of US currency daily.
Thursday, February 10th 2011 - 00:50 UTC
Venezuela’s homicide rate exposes vulnerable flank of President Chavez

Venezuelan authorities say they recorded 48 homicides for every 100,000 inhabitants last year, making it one of the most dangerous places in South America. Venezuela has a population of 28 million and a report for United Nations last year put the homicide rate for South America as a whole around 20 per 100.000 people.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 23:20 UTC
Riding on commodities boom, Peruvian exports reached 35 billion USD in 2010

Peruvian exports in 2010 reached 35 billion US dollars, up 30% from 2009, said Foreign Trade and Tourism minister Enrique Ferreyros. He also pointed out in nine years the number of Peruvian companies involved in exporting jumped from 4.086 to 7.200 and markets from 155 to 178 markets.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 20:55 UTC
Brazilian January inflation highest since April 2005

Brazilian officials say inflation in January was the highest monthly jump in almost six years. The government's IBGE statistics bureau said that January inflation was 0.83%, the biggest monthly jump since April 2005, when inflation was 0.87%.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 20:42 UTC
Brazil to trim budget and fight inflation by eliminating all 2009 stimuli

Brazil announces 50 billion Real (30 billion US dollars) cuts from this year’s budget as President Dilma Rousseff seeks to help the central bank contain inflation and lower some the world’s highest real interest rates.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 20:13 UTC
A former secretary of Nestor Kirchner claims she was his mistress

A former secretary of Nestor Kirchner, the late ex-president of Argentina, has claimed she was his long-term mistress weeks after being sacked by his widow and successor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 19:59 UTC
Uruguay solid candidate for “investment grade” rating says JP Morgan

Uruguay is considered a solid candidate to obtain “investment grade” given its strong economic fundamentals and these same factors make the country’s bonds issued in indexed units, UI, an attractive investment, according to a report from the investment bank JP Morgan published in the Montevideo press.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 06:39 UTC
Egypt discovers a cyber hero for its anti Mubarak revolution

In Wael Ghonim, Egypt's anti-Mubarak street movement finally found a hero to rally around after a period of leaderless protest. The Egyptian-born Google marketing executive first played a role in organising the opposition through Facebook, only to disappear into police custody for 12 days.
Wednesday, February 9th 2011 - 06:33 UTC
Kirchner administrations lack “true political will” to eradicate corruption

More than a hundred cables from the US embassy in Buenos Aires warned about the fragility of the judicial system and the impunity of criminals, according to an article recently published by Spanish newspaper El País. The leaked documents also spoke of the lack of a “true political will” to eradicate corruption.
Tuesday, February 8th 2011 - 23:58 UTC
Falklands’ war carrier HMS Invincible towed to a Turkish scrap-yard

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Invincible which had a leading role in the recovery of the Falkland Islands in 1982 has been sold to a Turkish scrap-yard which specialises in recycling ships.