Stories for November 5th 2013

Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 13:50 UTC
Brazil consumer watchdog orders airlines to reduce 'abusive' domestic fare for 2014 World Cup

Brazil's consumer watchdog Procon Rio do Janeiro branch has ordered five airlines to reduce “abusive” domestic fares during next year's FIFA World Cup. Avianca, TAM, Gol, Azul and Oceanair have been accused of inflating prices up to 10-fold during the June 12-July 13 tournament.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 13:40 UTC
”This woman (Cristina Fernandez) is a scoundrel, hates Uruguay and will try to harm us the most”

A Uruguay former central bank president and now head of an investment fund described Argentine president Cristina Fernandez as a 'scoundrel' that will do her utmost to harm Uruguay because 'they hate us'. Juan Carlos Protasi made the statements during a morning conference to analyze the current Argentine economic situation and its regional implications.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 08:09 UTC
President Maduro declares that 'early Christmas” has arrived in Venezuela

Venezuela's Supreme Happiness ministry is rolling: President Nicolás Maduro declared official the arrival of “early Christmas”, nearly two months ahead of the actual holiday and the surprise was that all workers will receive the first two-thirds of their bonuses and pensions on November 10/11, which critics claim is only meant to get him votes in the municipal elections of December 8.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 08:06 UTC
Brazilian stats confirm the country is one of the most violent countries

Five people were killed on average daily in clashes with police in Brazil last year, according to a survey cited by the daily O Globo Sunday edition. The report from the Brazilian Forum on Public Security found that 1,890 people in 23 Brazilian states were killed in such circumstances in 2012, including 1,322 just in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Bahia.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 08:02 UTC
Brazil admits to its own spying 'ten years ago and to protect the national interest'

Brazil which hotly denounced US surveillance of its leaders, itself spied on US officials as well as on Russia, Iran and Iraq a decade ago, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported on Monday.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 07:56 UTC
Uruguay October inflation 0.82% and 9.09% in the first ten months of 2013

Uruguay's consumer prices' index increased 0.82% in October, and 8.67% in the last twelve months but 9.09% in the first ten months of the year, according to the latest release from the country's Stats Office, INE.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 07:47 UTC
Paraguayan president will not attend Mercosur summit in Caracas

Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes will not be participating in the Mercosur summit scheduled to be held next month in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, which currently holds the rotating chair of the bloc, according to Paraguay foreign minister Eladio Loizaga.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 07:38 UTC
Argentina finds archives belonging to the military dictatorship

Argentina Defense Minister Agustín Rossi announced on Monday the finding of a vast quantity of archives belonging to the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976-83, including minutes that document 280 secret meetings held by the Armed Forces in those crucial years.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 07:26 UTC
South America's major military air exercise takes off in the north of Brazil

An international military exercise, organized by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and considered the largest in South America, began Monday at the country's two northeastern air bases, with the participation of air forces from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. Argentina dropped out at last moment.
Tuesday, November 5th 2013 - 07:23 UTC
Mercosur meets in Caracas to consolidate `'joint and only presentation' before EU

Mercosur members will be holding an extraordinary meeting in Caracas on 15 November to define an 'only joint position of the group ahead of the presentation to the European Union, in the framework of negotiations for the trade and cooperation accord, said Venezuelan foreign minister Elías Jaua.