Brazil

• Friday, December 23rd 2011 - 14:42 UTC

  Shout it loud enough and even the good guys believe it

  

  By John Fowler for Penguin News, Stanley, Falkland Islands - My first contact with Latin America came in 1971, when my wife and I spent four days in Montevideo while waiting for a ship to carry us to the Falkland Islands. We received such amazing hospitality and kindness from the Uruguayans we met then, that this small, but perfectly-formed country has had a place in my heart ever since.

• Friday, December 23rd 2011 - 14:37 UTC

  Uruguay criticizes Mercosur for shortcomings in trade and infrastructure

  

  One day after the summit in Montevideo, Uruguay criticized the functioning of Mercosur, particularly the lack of cooperation, trade barriers and impediments and delays to essential infrastructure works for the group.

• Friday, December 23rd 2011 - 04:39 UTC

  “We can never accept the Argentine government’s challenge to Falklands self-determination”

  

  “We will always maintain our commitment to you on any question of sovereignty because your right to self-determination is the cornerstone of our policy”, said British Prime Minister David Cameron in his Christmas message to the Falkland Islands.

• Thursday, December 22nd 2011 - 20:59 UTC

  Uruguay Navy says there is no legal impediment for Falklands’ flagged vessels to operate in Montevideo

  

  A report from the Uruguayan Coast Guard argues there is no legislation impeding Falklands/Malvinas flagged vessels from operating in the port of Montevideo. The report was handed to the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is drafting a protocol regarding what ships can and which can’t access Uruguayan ports.

• Thursday, December 22nd 2011 - 05:13 UTC

  Brazil’s President Rousseff ends her first year with a popularity of 73%

  

  Brazil’s first woman president Dilma Rousseff popularity climbed in December to reach 72%, almost the same level, 73%, when she took office January first 2011, according to a public opinion poll from Ibope released earlier this week.

• Thursday, December 22nd 2011 - 05:06 UTC

  Brazilian leading meat processors exchange assets to comply with anti-trust body

  

  Brazilian meat processors BRF Brasil Foods and Marfrig announced a deal on Thursday to trade assets, including a block of properties that Brazilian anti-trust body CADE mandated to be sold as part of the Sadia and Perdigao approval in July.

• Wednesday, December 21st 2011 - 19:09 UTC

  Foreign Office says economic blockade and intimidation of the Falklands’ people is “unacceptable”

  

  “It is unacceptable to engage in an economic blockade of the Falklands, there can be no justification, legal, moral or political, for efforts to intimidate the people of the Falkland Islands”, said Foreign Officer Minister Jeremy Browne on Wednesday.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 19:28 UTC

  Mercosur summit suspended following suicide of a top Argentine official

  

  The Mercosur presidential summit in Montevideo has been temporarily suspended following the news that a member of the Argentine delegation had committed suicide which left delegation members in a state of shock.

• Tuesday, December 20th 2011 - 07:21 UTC

  Argentina/Brazil propose higher external tariffs for Mercosur

  

  Argentina supported by Brazil has proposed increasing Mercosur Foreign External Tariff to better defend the group when country members are being flooded with cheap imports.

• Monday, December 19th 2011 - 07:29 UTC

  Mercosur summit to deal with Venezuela inclusion and obstacles to trade

  

  A two day Mercosur summit begins Monday in Montevideo with Foreign Affairs ministers meeting Monday and the presidents on Tuesday when the rotating chair will be passed from Uruguay to Argentina for the next six month.