
Argentina promised to be ‘inflexible” with the UPM pulp mill on Uruguayan territory, if it tries to increase production as it has requested, thus again opening a new controversy with Uruguay which has pledged to answer the (2011) expansion request in the last week of September. Presidents Cristina Fernandez and Jose Mujica are scheduled to meet in Buenos Aires at the end of the month.

Sergio Massa, mayor of Tigre in suburban Buenos Aires who is disputing Argentine President Cristina Fernandez leadership of the ruling movement by running for the Lower House in representation of the province of Buenos Aires, leads comfortably with 40% of vote intention according to the latest public opinion released on Sunday.

Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes is expected in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, following an invitation from his Argentine peer Cristina Fernandez, which will be his first overseas bilateral trip since taking office 15 August.

In 2006 a year before Cristina Fernandez took office as president for the first time, Argentine public opinion was concerned with unemployment (25%) and insecurity (25%) while corruption stood at 5% and inflation 1%. However seven years later insecurity and inflation are paramount with 34% and 13%, corruption 8% and employment concern is down to 7%.

The World Economic Forum Competitiveness report published last week shows Latinamerica is loosing ground in the world economy and the three countries which most plunged in the ranking in the last twelve months were: Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay.

Argentine former foreign minister Jorge Taiana was named candidate to lead President Cristina Fernandez’ Victory Front to the Buenos Aires City Legislature. Although Taiana’s name had been rumoured, the move was the biggest surprise in the countdown to the Saturday midnight deadline to register candidates to run in October’s mid term election.

IMF Managing Director ‘Madame (Christine) Lagarde’ had words of support for Argentina’s position in the dispute with ‘vulture’ (hedge) funds during an informal encounter with Argentine officials on the sidelines of the recent G20 summit in Russia.

United Kingdom’s Premier Oil PLC has been incorporated to the black list of companies banned by Argentina from operating in the country because of its hydrocarbons ‘illegal and clandestine’ activities in the continental shelf next to the Malvinas Islands without the competent authorization.

Authorities in Argentina say a 58-year-old man from Uruguay has been rescued in good health after spending four months lost in the Andes.The provincial emergency service says Raul Fernando Gomez was found Sunday. It says he had lost about 45 pounds and was dehydrated, and is being treated at a hospital.

Argentina filed two appeals before the New York Appeals Court over the dispute with the so called ‘vulture (hedge) funds’. The presentation was made a few moments before the Friday deadline and in the petition Argentina requests the revision of the 23 August ruling which orders Argentina to make effective the full payment of 1.4bn dollars (full face value of defaulted sovereign bonds plus interests) to the claimants.