Latin America

• Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 07:59 UTC

  Argentina again this year will use reserves to comply with debt commitments

  

  Argentina will use 2.3 billion dollars of central bank reserves this year to meet payments to international financing organizations and on its official bilateral debt, according to the Official Gazette.

• Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 07:07 UTC

  On Mine Awareness Day, OAS praises Colombia, Peru and Ecuador

  

  On the International Mine Awareness Day (April 4), the Organization of American States highlighted the successful humanitarian demining efforts throughout the Americas. National authorities in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are to be commended for increasing awareness of the dangers posed by landmines, for reducing the number of landmine victims, and for assuming responsibility for their national programs, said OAS.

• Wednesday, April 3rd 2013 - 23:50 UTC

  Falkland Islands’ success in Colombia: debate at leading university and speech before Congress

  

  A Falkland Islands delegation concluded this week a very successful visit to Colombia where they not only met with local authorities and lawmakers but also addressed the Lower House of Congress and were able to express loud and clear the Islanders’ message born out of the recent referendum in which they overwhelmingly voted to remain a British Overseas Territory.

• Wednesday, April 3rd 2013 - 07:08 UTC

  Falklands’ lawmaker regrets South American leaders take for granted Argentina’s version of events

  

  Falklands’ lawmaker Gavin Short regretted on Tuesday in Bolivia that the governments of South America take for granted the Argentine version of the conflict between Argentina and the UK over the Islands sovereignty without ever having listened to the other side.

• Wednesday, April 3rd 2013 - 07:03 UTC

  Maduro launches presidential campaign saying ‘Chavez’s spirit’ appeared to him in the form of a singing bird

  

  Ruling-party presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday at the childhood home of late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez that he felt that his deceased mentor appeared to him in the form of a “little bird”, blessed him and made a strong call ‘on to (electoral) battle’.

• Wednesday, April 3rd 2013 - 06:57 UTC

  Uruguayan Senate approves by a clear majority same-sex marriage

  

  The Uruguayan Senate voted overwhelmingly, 23-8, in favor of a same-sex marriage measure Tuesday, which now must return to the Lower House before it is finally approved and signed by President Jose Mujica who has indicated he supports the measure.

• Wednesday, April 3rd 2013 - 06:44 UTC

  Falklands’ referendum at the heart of a controversy in Colombia

  

  A diplomatic ‘gaffe’ referred to the Falklands/Malvinas Islands and the recent referendum seems to have been committed by the British embassy in Colombia, gaining great display in the Argentine media.

• Tuesday, April 2nd 2013 - 20:28 UTC

  Eleven million Argentines, 26.9% of the population live in poverty conditions

  

  An estimated 11 million Argentines or 26.9% out of a population of 40 million live in poverty according to the Social Observatory from the Argentine Catholic University, (UCA) based on a survey taken at the end of last year. However according to Argentina questioned stats’ office Indec, in the second half of 2012, poverty was down to 5.4% of the population equivalent to 2.2 million poor.

• Tuesday, April 2nd 2013 - 19:42 UTC

  Real estate prices’ increase in Rio and Sao Paulo among the highest in the world

  

  The latest Knight Frank’s Global Real Estate Index released this month has Brazil ranking No. 3 in the world and No. 1 in the Americas for rising home prices. Only ridiculously expensive Hong Kong and Dubai, which are not countries, have seen prices rise more. So in fact, no single country has seen its housing prices increase as much as Brazil.

• Tuesday, April 2nd 2013 - 05:30 UTC

  Uruguayan exports in first quarter down 13% compared to a year ago

  

  Uruguayan exports of goods in March continued falling thus closing a discouraging first quarter, according to Uruguay XXI, the country’s agency responsible for promoting trade and investment in the country.