Argentina

• Tuesday, July 12th 2016 - 06:36 UTC

  Mercosur ever so divided plans a new meeting to decide on Venezuela´s presidency of the group

  

  Mercosur four founding members meeting in Montevideo have been unable to reach a consensus on whether to transfer, for the next six months, the group's pro tempore presidency to Venezuela and decided on a new round of talks next Thursday. Uruguay insists in complying with the charter and calendar, but Paraguay and Brazil question the current government of Venezuela's credentials for the job, and Argentina has an ambiguous position.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 10:20 UTC

  Spontaneous ovation and acknowledgement for Malvinas veterans during Bicentenary celebrations

  

  Malvinas veterans received a huge ovation and applause when they marched in Buenos Aires closing the main parade that concluded two days of festivities and speeches across Argentina to celebrate the bicentennial of the country's declaration of independence on 9 July 1816.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 07:44 UTC

  Buenos Aires port planning ambitious new terminal to recover cruise industry business

  

  The port of Buenos Aires is planning a new terminal for the cruise industry with the purpose or recovering lost business estimated at 50% compared to the peak reached in the 2012/2013 season. Likewise for this coming season there will be a drastic reduction in landing and provision costs for cruise companies operating from Buenos Aires.

• Monday, July 11th 2016 - 06:16 UTC

  Pope Francis appeals to “a greater Fatherland” in message to Argentina's independence bicentennial

  

  In anticipation of Argentina's Independence Day bicentenary on Saturday,( 9 July 1816), Pope Francis sent a special message calling for the homeland to fulfill the prophesy of Joel (1st chapter. 4th verse) — only if our grandparents dare to dream and our youths to prophesy great things can our homeland be free.

• Friday, July 8th 2016 - 09:47 UTC

  Macri extends business tour to Idaho for a techno conference presided by Bill Gates

  

  Following his business promoting visit to France, Belgium and Germany, Argentine president Mauricio Macri is attending the Sun Valley Conference in the city of Idaho, United States, which is presided over by Microsoft creator Bill Gates.

• Friday, July 8th 2016 - 06:41 UTC

  US and Argentina are “regional leaders and long time friends”, says Kerry

  

  Secretary of State John Kerry sent best US wishes to the Argentine people on the 200 years of its declaration of independence on July 9, and underlined that both countries “are regional leaders and long time friends”.

• Friday, July 8th 2016 - 04:56 UTC

  Uruguayan government insists in transferring Mercosur presidency to Venezuela

  

  Uruguay ratified on Thursday its willingness to transfer the Mercosur presidency to Venezuela despite objections from the other members, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. In a brief statement in its official site, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Uruguay, currently holding the Mercosur pro tempore chair “reiterates its position to proceed to transfer the presidency, in abidance with what is established by the current Mercosur rules”.

• Thursday, July 7th 2016 - 06:46 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez back in court: Judge decides inhibition on her properties

  

  Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Wednesday filed a complaint against the judge who recently opened an investigation into allegations she defrauded the state as part of her government's handling of the dollar futures market. Fernandez, who governed Argentina from 2007 to 2015, filed the complaint against judge Claudio Bonadio after appearing in his court in connection with the case.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2016 - 06:54 UTC

  Brazil asks Mercosur chair transfer to Venezuela to be delayed until August

  

  The deep differences among Mercosur members as to who should hold the group's rotating chair this second half of the year surfaced openly in Montevideo with the surprise visit of Brazilian foreign minister Jose Serra and ex president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The Brazilin delegation formally requested Uruguay, which currently holds the six/month Mercosur chair to suspend the transfer to Venezuela until at least August.

• Wednesday, July 6th 2016 - 04:40 UTC

  Macri pushes in Berlin for EU-Mercosur accord, but Merkel sides with France in the agriculture issue

  

  President Mauricio Macri met on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin with both leaders holding a press conference to address the current state of talks regarding a trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur.