Latin America

• Friday, February 1st 2013 - 23:07 UTC

  Uruguay’s budget deficit soars to 2.8% of GDP; Minister pleads for ‘austerity’

  

  Uruguay’s budget fiscal deficit soared to 1.35 billion dollars or 2.8% of GDP last year, the highest since 2003, propped by energy costs, extraordinary one time payments and support for the recently implemented national health scheme, according to a release from the Ministry of Economy.

• Friday, February 1st 2013 - 20:13 UTC

  Falklands regret Timerman attitude and calls on Argentina “to respect our rights”

  

  The Falkland Islands government said on Friday it deeply regrets that Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman refused to meet with lawmakers from the Islands and Foreign Secretary William Hague, next week when he travels to London.

• Friday, February 1st 2013 - 07:45 UTC

  IMF: Peru, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia, best prepared in the event of another global crisis

  

  Peru, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia area among the South American countries best prepared in the event of another global crisis while Venezuela stands at the opposite end with ‘weakened’ defences, according to the latest report released by the IMF.

• Friday, February 1st 2013 - 07:38 UTC

  Chile and Uruguay banks outlook for 2013 stable and negative for Argentina, says Fitch ratings

  

  The outlook for Southern Cone Banks is mixed in 2013, with a stable outlook for Chile and Uruguay, while Argentina faces a negative outlook and the potential for downgrades, according to a new Fitch Ratings report.

• Friday, February 1st 2013 - 07:32 UTC

  Cost of crimes against property and people in Uruguay estimated at 3.1% of GDP

  

  The cost of crimes against property and people in Uruguay in 2010 totaled at least 1.2 billion dollars, which was equivalent to 3.1% of the country’s GDP. This was the conclusion of a new study carried out at the country’s Economic Research Center by researchers Aboal Diego, Jorge Campanella, and Bibiana Lanzilotta, with the collaboration of Magdalena Dominguez and Maren Vairo.

• Thursday, January 31st 2013 - 20:50 UTC

  Timerman rejects meeting Falklands representatives; only interested in ‘bilateral round’ with Hague

  

  Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman turned down an invitation by his British counterpart William Hague to take part in a meeting in London with representatives of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands government, assuring that “the international community does not accept the involvement of a third party” in the sovereignty issue.

• Thursday, January 31st 2013 - 14:06 UTC

  Two Falklands’ lawmakers fly to London to meet with Argentine Foreign minister

  

  Two elected members of the Falkland Islands’ Legislative Assembly will be travelling to London this weekend to be available to take part in any discussions regarding the Islands when Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman meets with Foreign Secretary William Hague, according to a release from Gilbert House, Stanley.

• Thursday, January 31st 2013 - 07:14 UTC

  Except for Uruguay, Mercosur ranks poorly in the World Press Freedom Index

  

  Argentina dropped seven positions and now ranks 54 in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index of 179 countries elaborated by Reporters Without Frontiers. Uruguay is the best ranked in South America, position 27, while other Mercosur full members standing are not very encouraging: Paraguay, 91; Brazil, 108 and Venezuela, 117.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2013 - 15:18 UTC

  Timerman taking the Falklands’ dispute to London in an event with EU figures

  

  Foreign minister Hector Timerman will be taking the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty claim to London where next week he is scheduled to meet outstanding figures from 18 European countries that have been calling for a resumption of negotiations, according to a release from the Argentine embassy in UK.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2013 - 06:48 UTC

  Paraguay suspended from Mercosur has requested Pacific Alliance observer status

  

  Paraguay has formally requested to become an observer of the Alliance of the Pacific, revealed Foreign minister Jose Felix Fernandez Estigarribia, The Pacific group is made up of Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, and actively promotes foreign investment and the private sector.