Latin America

• Monday, February 6th 2017 - 22:42 UTC

  Crime and violence cost Latin America and the Caribbean 3.55% of GDP

  

  A study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) estimates the direct annual cost of crime and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean at US$261 billion or 3.55% of GDP, roughly what the region invests on infrastructure and double the average cost for developed countries. It is also the equivalent income for 30% of the poorest population, underscoring the grave development impact violence has on the region.

• Saturday, February 4th 2017 - 06:47 UTC

  Temer and Macri meet next week to make Mercosur an effective free trade space

  

  Brazil and Argentina will attempt to eliminate trade barriers which limit or impede Mercosur trade, ensuring a free trade space, “the sooner the better”, revealed Brazilian diplomats in anticipation of the presidential summit next week, when Mauricio Macri is received by Michel Temer in Brasilia.

• Thursday, February 2nd 2017 - 11:17 UTC

  Mexico denies Trump threatened to send troops to stop the “bad hombres”

  

  The Mexican government on Wednesday vehemently denied reports that President Trump threatened to send US soldiers into Mexico during a phone call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Such a threat “did not happen during that call,” said a government statement released on Twitter Wednesday night.

• Monday, January 30th 2017 - 15:51 UTC

  FARC member accused of carrying out 300 abortions extradited from Spain to Colombia

  

  Spain has agreed to extradite to Colombia a former FARC rebel accused of carrying out 300 forced abortions on women fighters, some of them underage. Hector Arboleda Albeidis Buitrago, who has Spanish nationality, was detained in Madrid in December 2015.

• Saturday, January 28th 2017 - 11:40 UTC

  Falklands Today roundtable discussion in Trinidad & Tobago

  

  The Reality of the Falkland Islands Today was the motive of a roundtable discussion at the University of West Indies, St Augustine campus in Trinidad & Tobago. The event took place on Thursday at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, SALISES and was chaired by Acting Director Dr. Roy McCree.

• Saturday, January 28th 2017 - 09:21 UTC

  Trump and Peña Nieto agree to disagree on the wall but will not discuss it publicly

  

  President Donald Trump and Mexico's president, Enrique Peña Nieto, had a “productive and constructive” call on Friday morning, according to a joint statement released by the White House today. The two presidents discussed America's trade deficit with Mexico, “the importance of the friendship between the two nations,” and the need to work together to stop drug trafficking and illegal guns and arms sales, the statement said.

• Friday, January 27th 2017 - 11:23 UTC

  White House considering a 20% tax on all imports to United States

  

  With the conflict with Mexico escalating the White House on Thursday appeared to endorse a 20% tax on all imports to the United States, only to insist a few hours later that it was not endorsing the plan.

• Thursday, January 26th 2017 - 19:49 UTC

  Mexican wall and migration dispute escalates: Peña Nieto cancels White House visit

  

  Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has cancelled next week's trip to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. His decision comes a day after the new US president unveiled his plan to build a wall along the Mexico-US border and insisted the US would recoup the costs for the barrier from Mexico, which has strongly objected.

• Thursday, January 26th 2017 - 19:31 UTC

  Falklands/Malvinas: regional summit to renew request for UN Secretary General good offices in the dispute

  

  Leaders from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, expressed full support for Argentina's legitimate rights over the South Atlantic islands (Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich) and anticipated they will be requesting the UN Secretary General to renew his good offices for the resumption of negotiations between Argentina and UK to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute.

• Thursday, January 26th 2017 - 07:51 UTC

  Uruguay and Chile, least corrupt countries in Latin America says Transparency International

  

  Over two-thirds of the 176 countries and territories in this year’s Corruption Perceptions Index fall below the midpoint of a scale spanning 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), said Transparency International (TI) upon the release of the non-profit’s 2016 report. No country reached above 90.