Stories for December 2015

Friday, December 4th 2015 - 05:55 UTC
Mercosur waiting for EU proposal; summit to be held at Conmebol convention centre

Mercosur is waiting for the European Union to decide when to begin the exchange of tariff-reduction proposals with the purpose of reaching an encompassing trade and cooperation agreement, despite France's objections to the move, said Rigoberto Gauto, Paraguay's deputy foreign minister. Paraguay currently holds the Mercosur chair and leads negotiations with Brussels.
Friday, December 4th 2015 - 05:33 UTC
Uruguay could be heading to recession because of the government's political stalemate

Uruguay faces seven conditions which are creating a complex scenario and if they are not modified by government, it's most possible the economy is heading for a recession, according to economist Juan Carlos Protasi, a former central bank president.
Friday, December 4th 2015 - 05:23 UTC
Uruguayan government unable to keep inflation below two digits

Inflation in Uruguay during the first eleven months of 2015 was double digit, 10.04%, a figure which if confirmed by the end of the year, could trigger a rash of labor review demands from unions. According to the country's stats office INE, in November retail prices climbed 0.43%, and in the last twelve months reached 9.46%, ahead of October's 9.15%.
Friday, December 4th 2015 - 05:07 UTC
Agriculture can boost production by 40%/50% with measures announced by Macri's team

Gustavo Grobocopatel, head of the agro-business Grobo group anticipated that with the measures announced by the team of president elect Mauricio Macri and to be implemented from next 10 December, Argentina's grains and oilseed crop “it going to increase by 40% to 50%”, meaning dollars for industry, jobs and services.
Friday, December 4th 2015 - 04:44 UTC
UK embassy sponsors three workshops in Uruguay on science and innovation

The British Embassy, the British Council and Uruguayan National Research and Innovation Agency (ANII) have announced the three workshops selected under the recent Researcher Links call for proposals, part of the Embassy’s cooperation funding for science and innovation in Uruguay.
Thursday, December 3rd 2015 - 11:33 UTC
Global advance of TB, a disease of poverty and inequality, warns world medical association

Tuberculosis should be treated as a disease of poverty and inequality, the World Medical Association said on Wednesday. Against the background of the global growth of tuberculosis, the WMA is updating its training course for physicians to emphasize the relationship between poverty and TB.
Thursday, December 3rd 2015 - 11:26 UTC
Amnesty presses FIFA on Qatar's 'rampant migrant labor abuse'

Five years to the day since Qatar secured 2022 World Cup hosting rights, Amnesty International says the Gulf nation has done little to “address rampant migrant labor abuse”. Qatar has made pledges for labor reforms and the 2022 World Cup committee has introduced a workers’ charter. But the kafala system of tied employment has yet to be overhauled to ease restrictions on workers’ rights.
Thursday, December 3rd 2015 - 08:41 UTC
Brazil political crisis escalates: Congress initiates impeachment proceedings against president Rousseff

The speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha has announced plans to open impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff, allegedly on violation of fiscal legislation. In practical terms this means further political upheaval in the months ahead in a country that has been rocked by the steepest recession in 25 years, job losses, and a corruption scheme of planetary proportions in oil giant Petrobras.
Thursday, December 3rd 2015 - 08:29 UTC
Cordoba: land free of Kirchnerites or the province that despises the rest of Argentina

“Don't vacation in Cordoba because that province despises the rest of Argentina” reads a slogan massively launched by Kirchner followers in retaliation for the overwhelming support of that province to president-elect Mauricio Macri, 71% to 28% for Daniel Scioli, Cristina Fernandez handpicked presidential candidate.
Thursday, December 3rd 2015 - 08:11 UTC
Macri names ambassadors to Washington and Montevideo

President-elect Mauricio Macri named ambassador to Washington and Montevideo. Lawmaker Martín Lousteau will be Argentina's next ambassador in the US. He will replace Cecilia Nahón, who submitted her resignation on Monday. The appointment was decided after a meeting Lousteau held with the new cabinet chief Marcos Peña and the future Foreign Affairs Minister Susana Malcorra, a Let’s Change statement affirmed.