Conflicts over land in Colombia are likely to increase following a peace deal to end half a century of war as once no-go areas in the Andean country open up for business and development projects, land rights experts said. The government and rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are due to sign a peace accord Monday to end Latin America's longest-running conflict, which has killed 200,000 people.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew will urge his counterparts in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to press ahead with economic and fiscal reforms aimed at restoring or strengthening growth, a senior Treasury official said on Friday. Lew will be visiting the four largest Latin American economies this week beginning with Argentina on Monday, recognizing efforts by President Mauricio Macri to reintegrate Argentina into the global economy.
Left-winger Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected British Labour leader on Saturday, seeing off a challenge from MPs but leaving the main opposition party split as critics said it was even further from power than before. Supporters in Liverpool leaped to their feet cheering as the 67-year-old was confirmed winner with 61.8% of the vote among party members and supporters, easily defeating challenger Owen Smith.
When the Colombian government and Marxist rebels FARC sign the final peace accord this Monday to end a 52-year guerrilla war, a US envoy from the Obama administration will be one of the special guests at the signing ceremony.
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 165.6 points in August 2016, up 3 points (1.9%) from July and almost 7% above the corresponding period last year. The August value of the Index is the highest since May 2015. Except for cereals, prices of all other commodities used in the calculation of the FFPI rose in August, led by dairy, oils and sugar.
The United States on Friday gave Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declassified CIA documents confirming that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet personally ordered the 1976 assassination of opposition leader Orlando Letelier. US Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom presented the documents to Bachelet during a ceremony on the site of the killing in the US capital, two days after the 40th anniversary of the brazen attack.
Brazilian president Michel Temer addressing business leaders and foreign policy experts in New York earlier this week revealed another twist to the recent political events in the country which led to the impeachment and removal of his elected predecessor Dilma Rousseff.
The Amaro family from Brazil, one of the main controllers of LATAM Airlines, sold a 6.47% stake in the regional carrier on Friday on the Santiago stock exchange for some US$296 million, as part of a strategy to modify the company's ownership structure.
A consortium led by Canada's Brookfield Infrastructure has signed a deal to buy a controlling stake in a natural gas pipeline system in Brazil from Petrobras for US$5.2 billion. Under the deal, the consortium will acquire a 90% stake in Nova Transportadora do Sudeste S.A. (NTS). Petrobras will retain a 10% stake.
Brazil’s Petrobras announced it will be spending US$74.1 billion over the next five years, 25% reduction on the US$98.4 billion for the previous five years capital expenditure. This is also the company’s lowest five-year budget since 2006.