The re-election of President Dilma Rousseff's in Brazil has exposed a deeply divided country with an overwhelming support for the incumbent in the impoverished northeast, where millions receive benefits from huge welfare programs the ruling Workers Party (PT) has rolled out over the past decade.
After months of political wrangling over the appointment to the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker and his team officially replaced his predecessor, Jose Manuel Barroso, and his Commission on Saturday. The first vice president, former Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, is to serve as Juncker's right-hand man.
Argentina's tax office has stripped US multinational company Procter & Gamble of its registration for alleged fraud, the office announced on Sunday. The federal tax collection office, known as AFIP, has alleged that P&G evaded paying duties on imports from Brazil, billing through a Swiss subsidiary, in what it called potentially aggravated contraband.
Argentina and Brazil were elected by the United Nations General Assembly as members of the UN Economic and Social Council, ESOCOC for a period of three years beginning next January first. Argentina received 182 out of 186 votes.
Brazil and Uruguay as of next December will be able to use local currencies in bilateral trade, disregarding appealing to US dollars, based on the agreement signed last Friday between the central bank presidents of the two countries, Alexandre Tombini (Brazil) and Alberto Graña (Uruguay).
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez stressed health forced her on Sunday afternoon to check into Buenos Aires' Otamendi hospital for treatment of an infectious fever, according to a statement issued by the government.
Mercosur and Pacific Alliance foreign affairs ministers met this weekend in Colombia for a first round of talks on integration mechanisms and the potential for specific alliances. The idea of the meeting was first launched by Chile with the purpose of a 'convergence' of interests and a possible future integration.
A majority of Scots would back independence if another referendum were held this Sunday, according to a public opinion poll, just six weeks after Scotland voted against leaving the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire has become the first UK Minister to visit Cuba in almost ten years. His three-day time in the country included meetings with senior government figures and others to discuss bilateral relations including trade and investment. He will also raise UK concerns about the human rights situation.
Fitch ratings on the last day of October downgraded Argentina's Par bonds issued under Foreign Law to 'D' from 'C', after the country failed to complete an interest payment, raising the risk that creditors could demand that its cash-strapped government immediately repay all of its debt.