Latin America

• Monday, March 11th 2013 - 05:37 UTC

  Brazil pledges support for Venezuelan transition but takes distance from Chavez populism

  

  By leaving Venezuela before Friday’s funeral ceremony for leader Hugo Chávez, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was once again trying to chart out a more moderate signal to investors and diplomats, plus probably avoiding Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whom contrary to her predecessor Lula da Silva, she has strongly criticized.

• Monday, March 11th 2013 - 05:06 UTC

  Uruguay defence minister blasts Uruguayan observers at Falklands referendum

  

  Uruguay Minister of Defence Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro described as an “enormous shame” for the country the fact that two lawmakers from the leading opposition National party travelled to the Falklands/Malvinas to participate as observers of the Sunday/Monday referendum on the Islands political status and future.

• Sunday, March 10th 2013 - 01:52 UTC

  Venezuela announces snap presidential election for April 14

  

  Venezuela announced Saturday that it will hold a presidential election to succeed late leader Hugo Chavez on April 14 after his political heir took office. The national electoral council set the date one day after Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's handpicked successor, was sworn in as acting president in a ceremony largely boycotted by the opposition, which slammed it as unconstitutional.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:57 UTC

  Maduro takes the oath as acting president and candidate for the coming elections

  

  Vice-President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in Friday as acting president of Venezuela in a ceremony held in the National Assembly in Caracas, three days after the death of President Hugo Chavez. He immediately asked the Electoral branch to decide on an election date.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:30 UTC

  Iran’s Ahmadinejad received a standing ovation at Chavez emotional funeral

  

  Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuba's Raul Castro joined on Friday about thirty other heads of state at Hugo Chávez's funeral in an emotional farewell to the charismatic Venezuelan leader who during his fourteen years in office had a major impact on South American politics.

• Saturday, March 9th 2013 - 05:20 UTC

  Mujica tells Venezuelans that big contradictions in society are ‘not squashed but conducted’

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica called for unity and responsibility in Venezuela, ‘to fight for freedom and peace’ and cautioned that big contradictions in a society are not squashed but conducted. He also called on Brazil to lead the region but warned: “not creating a new regional empire”.

• Friday, March 8th 2013 - 08:13 UTC

  Emotional Cristina Fernandez back in Argentina misses Chavez funeral ceremony

  

  As world leaders were arriving at Caracas late Thursday for Friday’s funeral ceremony of President Hugo Chavez, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez and her delegation were back in Buenos Aires. The Argentine president visited the Military Hospital’s chapel Thursday noon for a final goodbye to the Venezuelan leader and then ordered the flight back to Buenos Aires.

• Friday, March 8th 2013 - 07:58 UTC

  Uruguay completes investment-grade ‘triple crown’ from the three big credit rating agencies

  

  Uruguay finally managed on Thursday to achieve investment grade debt rating from the three major agencies when Fitch raised the country’s rating to BBB-minus from BB-plus, citing economic resilience as well as the political and social stability of the country, squeezed between Brazil and Argentina.

• Friday, March 8th 2013 - 07:50 UTC

  IDB approves largest financial operation for Uruguay: 550 million dollars

  

  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a 550 million dollars operation for Uruguay to fund the Program for Strategic International Positioning, which aims to substantially increase investment and exports by strengthening the regulatory and institutional framework, promoting and facilitating trade, and boosting entrepreneurial innovation.

• Friday, March 8th 2013 - 07:35 UTC

  Chavez to be embalmed ‘for eternity’; Maduro takes the oath as ‘acting’ president

  

  Venezuela's Hugo Chavez will be embalmed and put on display “for eternity” at a military museum after the state funeral and an extended period of lying in state, acting President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday.