Latin America

Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 20:52 UTC
Foreigners own 6% of rural land in Argentina, equivalent to 15.8 million hectares

A total of 5.93% of rural land in Argentina is foreign-owned President Cristina Fernández announced which amounts to 15.8 million hectares. During a speech at Government House, Justice Secretary Julián Alvarez presented a survey that is a prelude to the full implementation of the Law 26,737 on Rural Lands (Ley de Tierras Rurales) passed in 2011 to place a 15% limit on foreign ownership of rural land in Argentina.
Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 20:47 UTC
Latam and Caribbean poised to grow 3% this year; poor performance from Brazil and Mexico

Latinamerica and the Caribbean are poised to grow 3% this year, according to the July Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, which is down from the previous April estimate of 3.5%. Slower growth in the region’s two largest economies Brazil and Mexico, and more modest activity in Chile, Panama and Peru have pulled the average down.
Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:34 UTC
Paraguay ready to return to Mercosur but is talking trade with Mexico, US and the Pacific Alliance

Paraguay is ready to return to Mercosur as long as there is respect the country’s dignity, but at the same time will look for other trade and cooperation opportunities with Mexico, United States and the Pacific Alliance, said the Paraguayan ambassador in Washington.
Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:25 UTC
Paraguay greets Insulza and thanks OAS support during June 2012 political events

The Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, met with Paraguayan president Federico Franco at the start of his two-day official visit to Asunción.
Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:19 UTC
Mass with 400.000 Catholics in Copacabana beach marks opening of World Youth Day

Around 400,000 Roman Catholics have joined a Tuesday evening ceremony on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro to mark the opening of World Youth Day. The highlight of the festival will be a visit on Thursday by Pope Francis.
Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:15 UTC
Mujica flies to Havana to meet the Castro brothers and celebrate 60 years of Cuba’s revolution

Uruguayan president and former guerrilla Jose Mujica left Tuesday night for Cuba where he is scheduled to hold meetings with President Raul Castro, the revolution leader Fidel Castro and attend the celebrations of the sixtieth anniversary of the assault on the Moncada military fort.
Wednesday, July 24th 2013 - 07:09 UTC
Cristina Fernandez candidate for Army Chief questioned over human rights record

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has defended the designation of César Milani as head of the Armed Forces, and complained that “those who previously voted for the Due Obedience and Final Stop laws put in doubt” her administration's “human rights record”.
Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 - 08:15 UTC
Santos and Maduro agree to open a new chapter of neighbourly relations

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos on Monday agreed to turn the page on a diplomatic dispute triggered when Santos met with Venezuela's main opposition leader in May.
Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 - 08:06 UTC
Argentina refuses to inform Paraguay on a nuclear reactor it is planning along the border

The administration of President Cristina Fernandez rejected a request from Paraguay on the nuclear plant, and area of influence, Argentina plans to build in the neighbouring province of Formosa. The situation was exposed by Paraguayan lawmaker Olga Ferreira de Lopez who called the Argentine president a ‘perverse woman’.
Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 - 08:00 UTC
Polls confirm support for Rousseff has crashed and Lula da Silva becomes an option

Former president Lula da Silva is back leading opinion polls as the most likeable candidate for Brazil’s presidential election in 2014, eleven percentage points ahead of his successor and current president Dilma Rousseff according to the latest public opinion polls released over the week end.