The southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas had its largest strike in decades Wednesday in response to a government proposal to increase the price of gas in the region by 20%.
Venezuela’s economy contracted 1.9% 2010, marking a second year of recession according to a release from the Central Bank. The economy shrank 3.3% in 2009, but President Hugo Chavez's government said the country is now pulling out of recession and on course for 2% growth in 2011.
The Brazilian currency Real weakened after the central bank introduced reserve requirements on short positions in U.S. dollars held by local banks with the purpose of weakening the Real which this week reached a historic high against the greenback.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang has said Beijing is willing to buy about Euro 6 billion worth of Spanish public debt, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Thursday, citing government sources.
Chile's peso was operating Thursday at 495 to the US dollar after depreciating around 6% in two sessions on a 12 billion US dollars central bank intervention program announced this week.
Uruguayan exports soared 23.8% in value during 2010 compared to 2009 which represent a new record according to the country’s Union of Exporters. Sales totaled 6.76 billion US dollars while imports to the month of October (the latest Central Bank officially available data) reached 6.7 billion USD, which represent a 18.6% increase in the first ten months of last year.
Layoffs planned to eliminate some 500,000 state jobs in Cuba this year got underway this week, according to the island’s only legal workers’ organization. The official weekly Trabajadores cited a speech by CTC chief Salvador Valdes in the eastern province of Holguin, in which he said it was the union’s responsibility to “be the guarantor” of the process of labour reorganization.
President Evo Morales’ government has offered to reimburse 100% of the cost of successful exploratory drilling in Bolivia by private oil and natural gas companies, state-owned energy company YPFB announced this week.
China has confidence in the Spanish financial market and will continue buying bonds issued by Spain’s government, Beijing’s Deputy prime minister said in an op-ed published in Madrid daily El Pais.
Overwhelmed by the rapid spread of foot and mouth disease FMD the South Korean government announced that it will vaccinate pigs, cows and all other cloven hoofed animals. The decision came after the highly contagious virus has turned into a nationwide epidemic, with livestock farms in the eastern province of Gangwon falling victim to the deadly disease.