Latin America

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:40 UTC

  Paraguay requests Pacific Alliance observer status; moves ‘beyond Mercosur’

  

  Paraguay has made official its request to become an observer of the Pacific Alliance, (Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru), as part of its policy to strengthen relations with other countries that goes beyond Mercosur and has proven very successful for the exchange of experiences.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:35 UTC

  Paraguay discussing inviting Maduro to the inauguration of president-elect Cartes

  

  Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes transition team said that Venezuela should be present at the inauguration ceremony of the new head of state scheduled for 15 August, despite the ‘current circumstances’ of bilateral relations.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:13 UTC

  Moody’s says Uruguay banking system outlook is stable; strong economic growth and domestic demand

  

  The outlook the Uruguayan banking system is stable, based on expectations that continued economic growth and favourable labour market conditions will sustain loan growth and banks' profitability, says Moody's Investors Service in the report “Banking System Outlook: Uruguay.”

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 06:51 UTC

  The Economist: Brazil isn’t growing, so why are Brazilians so happy?

  

  In the decade after Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs coined the acronym “BRICs” in 2001, grouping together four big countries with the potential for sustained growth, the “B”, Brazil, really put itself on the economic map.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 06:44 UTC

  Brazil reports great interest in the coming 11th bidding hydrocarbons round

  

  The director of Brazil's Agencia Nacional do Petroleo (ANP) reports significant interest from operators in Brazil's upcoming 11th bidding round as the country pursues its plans to double its oil and natural gas production. The bidding round is the first since December 2008 and the first under the nation's new hydrocarbon law.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  Stubbornly high inflation in Uruguay for another two years forecasts Capital Economics

  

  Uruguay’s stubbornly high inflation is as much structural in nature as it is due cyclical factors and to bring it down requires changes in fiscal policy, tackling widespread salary indexation and policymakers need to enhance their credibility according to Capital Economics.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 06:17 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina agree to jointly build two nuclear research reactors

  

  Atomic power agencies from Brazil and Argentina signed an agreement to build two nuclear reactors for research and production of radioisotopes, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT).

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 06:05 UTC

  Peru promoting Unasur summit to address Venezuela’s political situation

  

  Peru which currently holds the chair of Unasur, Union of South American Nations is promoting a new meeting of country members’ heads of state to address the political situation in Venezuela, Foreign minister Rafael Roncagliolo said on Thursday.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 05:59 UTC

  Chile launches ambitious tourism campaign at World Travel Market in Sao Paulo

  

  A new international campaign to promote Chile as a tourism destination was launched by the Under Secretariat for Tourism, the institution responsible for the promotion of Chile in overseas markets. The campaign was presented in parallel in Sao Paulo as part of the events at World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 03:32 UTC

  Global Road Safety Week: over 23.00 pedestrians killed yearly in Latin America and the Caribbean

  

  More than 23,500 pedestrians were killed on the roads in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2010, making pedestrians the most vulnerable group of road users in the region.