Latin America

Saturday, May 31st 2014 - 07:03 UTC
US Chamber of Commerce delegation on potential business tour of Cuba

A delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce has begun its first visit to Cuba in 15 years. Chamber president Thomas Donohue said he was in Cuba to assess the economic changes taking place under President Raul Castro.
Saturday, May 31st 2014 - 06:08 UTC
Uruguay's FDI equivalent to 5% of GDP and mostly in alternative energies, said Eclac report

Foreign direct investment in Uruguay totaled 2.79bn dollars last year, which is slightly higher than the 2.68bn of 2012, equivalent to 5% of GDP, according to the latest report on FDI for the region from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Saturday, May 31st 2014 - 06:05 UTC
Brazil's economy grows 0.2% in the first quarter and 1.9% in twelve months

Brazil's economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter compared to the final three months of 2013, a pace slower than economists had forecast, the government said Friday. Meanwhile GDP rose 1.9% relative to the first quarter of 2013, according to figures released by the state-run Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE.
Friday, May 30th 2014 - 05:19 UTC
Uruguay parties chose presidential candidates in next Sunday's primaries

Uruguay closed on Thursday the primaries election campaign ahead of Sunday's vote when the different parties will be choosing their candidates for the big presidential contest on the last Sunday of October. Whoever is elected in October or in the November run-off will succeed President Jose Mujica on March 2015.
Thursday, May 29th 2014 - 06:26 UTC
Argentina is the most protectionist country of the region” claims Astori

Uruguay's vice-president Danilo Astori said that Argentina is “the most protectionist country in the region” and again questioned the effectiveness of Mercosur arguing that Uruguay can't forget the region but can't be expected to remain idle.
Thursday, May 29th 2014 - 05:51 UTC
Brazil's central bank opted to leave rate unchanged at 11%, “at this moment”

Brazil left its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday. In a unanimous decision, the central bank's monetary policy committee, Copom, kept the Selic rate at 11%, breaking a streak of nine consecutive hikes as expected by a majority of analysts and market traders.
Thursday, May 29th 2014 - 00:35 UTC
Three Latam presidents among Forbes list of 25 most powerful women

Brazil, Argentina and Chile presidents figure among the list of the 25 most powerful women in the world according to the latest release from Forbes. Dilma Rousseff ranks in fourth place, Cristina Fernandez 19 and Michele Bachelet, 25. Only nine heads of state figure in the 100 names list.
Wednesday, May 28th 2014 - 08:52 UTC
Caribbean Community moving closer to decriminalization of marihuana

The Jamaica government is being urged to enact legislation that would decriminalize marijuana as well as establish a medical marijuana industry. The Cannabis Commercial and Medicinal Research Taskforce said Jamaica would significantly benefit from a regulates medical marihuana industry.
Tuesday, May 27th 2014 - 08:23 UTC
Malvinas and Bolivia's ocean outlet, the 'two open wounds' of Latin America

Latin America has two open wounds, the Malvinas Islands and Bolivia's sovereign outlet to the Pacific, said Bolivian vice-president Alvaro Garcia Linera in Mendoza, Argentina where he was awarded an 'Honoris Causa” for his commitment to regional integration and inclusion.
Tuesday, May 27th 2014 - 08:16 UTC
UK company reaches compensation agreement with Bolivian government

Bolivia has agreed to pay 31.7 million dollars to British electric utility Rurelec as compensation for the 2010 nationalization of its controlling stake in power producer Empresa Electrica Guaracachi, 10 million less than the amount determined by an arbitration tribunal, the Attorney General's Office said.