Argentina

• Monday, January 16th 2012 - 02:45 UTC

  Argentine government and farmers clash over drought emergency support

  

  As extreme drought conditions punish Argentina’s crops throughout the country farmers’ organizations are at loggerheads with the government of President Cristina Fernandez, which is refusing to increase the emergency fund for such situations and to alleviate the tax burden.

• Saturday, January 14th 2012 - 06:25 UTC

  Argentine ‘official’ annual inflation, 9.5%; wholesale prices up 12.7%

  

  Argentina’s official inflation in 2011 reached 9.5%, following on December’s Consumer Prices Index (IPC) of 0.8%. Both percentages from the National Stats bureau, Indec are disputed by the Congressional index and private sector estimates which stand at a floor of 22.8% and 1.9%.

• Saturday, January 14th 2012 - 06:16 UTC

  Bolivia ratifies complete support for Argentina’s Malvinas sovereignty claim

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales said the Malvinas Islands are Argentine and gave full support to his peer Cristina Fernandez siding with Mercosur in the dispute with the UK over the South Atlantic Islands sovereignty and the latest decision to bar all Falklands flagged vessels from regional ports.

• Saturday, January 14th 2012 - 06:03 UTC

  Brazil warns it is ready to respond to Argentina’s new trade restrictions

  

  Brazil's government is ready to respond to Argentine trade restrictions introduced this week but will evaluate the impact of the measures before making any retaliatory moves, trade officials said Friday.

• Friday, January 13th 2012 - 20:15 UTC

  Non-official Argentine inflation hits 1.9% in December and 22.81% in 2011

  

  Argentine opposition lawmakers presented December’s consumer inflation index based in the analysis of nine private agencies, which showed a 1.9% increase over the previous month and totalling 22.81% for the twelve months of 2011, roughly double the official index.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:31 UTC

  Argentina and IMF moving closer, admit holding regular bilateral contact

  

  Speaking at a press conference from Washington DC on Thursday, IMF acting director of External Relations Gerry Rice said the organization’s directors “will meet in late January or early February to analyze the progress made in Argentina’s statistics”.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 21:21 UTC

  Argentine industry ‘under risk with new ‘super-license’ imports’ system

  

  While Argentina’s Mercosur trade partners have adopted a cautious attitude regarding the latest measures that make it more cumbersome and bureaucratic to sell to Argentina, the country’s manufacturers and importers have warned of the consequences and called for a more balanced approach to the issue.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 12:32 UTC

  Chile ratifies its position and denies existence of a Malvinas blockade

  

  Chile ratified this week that vessels flying the Malvinas flag will continue to be barred from Chilean ports and that the country’s position relative to the issue has not changed and denies the existence of a blockade. A brief statement from the Chilean Foreign Affairs ministry indirectly refers to the latest statement by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 12:31 UTC

  Uruguay’s position on barring Malvinas flagged vessels “has not changed an iota”

  

  In an official communiqué Uruguay ratified full support for Argentina’s Malvinas sovereignty claim and underlined that the barring of Malvinas’ flagged vessel from Uruguayan ports stands and “has not changed an iota”.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 04:20 UTC

  LAN Argentina regional flights forced out of Buenos Aires metropolitan terminal

  

  LAN Airlines announced that “due to a decision by the (Argentine) national aeronautical authorities,” the company has been forced to reschedule flights leaving from the Buenos Aires City Aeroparque Metropolitan airport bound for Sao Paulo and Santiago de Chile.