Latin America

Tuesday, March 18th 2014 - 02:24 UTC
Brazil optimistic that Mercosur has reached a joint proposal for trade talks with the EU

Mercosur will present a joint proposal to the European Union for a wide ranging trade agreement between the two blocks later this month, announced Brazil' Minister of Industry Mauro Borges, following a visit to Buenos Aires where he met with Economy minister Axel Kicillof and Industry minister Debora Giorgi.
Saturday, March 15th 2014 - 08:25 UTC
Despite inflation Astori argues that cutting government spending is not the solution

It is a mistake to blame government expenditure for the increase of prices, as is the concept that inflation can be defeated by cutting government spending, said Uruguayan Vice-president and economist Danilo Astori, who argued that in many cases these funds are essential to finance public investments and social policies.
Saturday, March 15th 2014 - 08:13 UTC
Uruguay combats inflation with price agreements and reducing taxes on public utilities rates

The Uruguayan government finalized on Friday a prices agreement with commerce and trade organizations to help bring down the third highest inflation of the region which is advancing at an almost two-digit pace. The package is to be completed with government fiscal 'sacrifice' such as the elimination of taxes on some public utilities rates.
Saturday, March 15th 2014 - 08:00 UTC
Queen Michelle Bachelet is back, but that was the easy bit, says The Economist

Michelle Bachelet became the first person since General Carlos Ibañez in 1952 to return to Chile’s presidential palace, La Moneda, for a second term. According to a recent official history of the building, the general was a stickler for fitness.
Saturday, March 15th 2014 - 04:26 UTC
February annual inflation in Venezuela soars to 57.3%; Maduro blames the 'economic war'

Venezuela's annual inflation rate rose to 57.3% in February, the central bank said as violent opposition demonstrations during the month disrupted the economy. However the bank also pointed out that despite the protests inflation slowed on a month-on-month basis to 2.4% from 3.3% in January.
Friday, March 14th 2014 - 09:00 UTC
Farm land sales in Uruguay last year totaled a record 1.3bn dollars

Farm land sales in Uruguay totaled a record 1.3bn dollars in 2013, involving 1.868 operations and 370.927 hectares, which is 10% more than in 2012, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food ministry's Stats Office, DIEA. Uruguay's farmland covers approximately 17 million hectares and the most dynamic buyers are the pensions funds, says the report.
Friday, March 14th 2014 - 08:52 UTC
Venezuela reassures fearful Caribbean allies about ALBA and PetroCaribe

Venezuela said the current political unrest in the country poses no danger to the future of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas(ALBA) and the oil initiative PetroCaribe.
Friday, March 14th 2014 - 08:49 UTC
Death toll in a month of violent protests in Venezuela has risen to 28

Venezuela's state prosecutor said on Thursday the death toll from a month of violent protests had risen to 28, after the nation's top court ordered opposition mayors to dismantle barricades set up by street protesters.
Friday, March 14th 2014 - 08:18 UTC
The Chilean state apologizes to the indigenous Mapuches 'for taking their lands'

The government of President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday apologized in the name of the Chilean state to the indigenous Mapuche tribe “for taking their lands” and said it has a pending debt in terms of public policies that will allow the La Araucania region, where 600,000 of the Indians live, to emerge from poverty.
Thursday, March 13th 2014 - 22:44 UTC
El Salvador Electoral tribunal declares incumbent candidate the winner

A former Marxist guerrilla leader won El Salvador's presidential election by a margin of less than one quarter of one percentage point, according to final results released on Thursday, but the right-wing rival continued to press to have the vote annulled.