Latin America

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 01:22 UTC

  FARC leader doubts the peace accord can be signed this year

  

  Colombia is unlikely to sign a peace accord with Marxist rebels this year as the remaining items on the negotiating agenda are complex and time consuming, FARC guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londoño said.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2014 - 06:05 UTC

  Mexico signs energy reform bills: now to wait for interested private companies

  

  Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed on Monday a package of landmark energy reform bills, ending the 76-year-old state monopoly on oil drilling and reopening the sector to foreign companies.

• Monday, August 11th 2014 - 22:30 UTC

  Quito, leading destination of South America, at World Travel Awards

  

  Ecuador's capital, Quito, was named “South America's Leading Destination” for the second year in a row at the 21st regional World Travel Awards gala, considered the Oscars of the tourism industry.

• Saturday, August 9th 2014 - 05:58 UTC

  OAS observation mission will be present during Bolivia's October elections

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS) and Bolivia signed on Friday the agreement on privileges and immunities for the Electoral Observation Mission, (EOM) to be deployed to the general elections to be held in Bolivia on 12 October.

• Friday, August 8th 2014 - 07:59 UTC

  Brazil insists in trade agreements and closer ties with Pacific Alliance, despite Mercosur

  

  Brazil confirmed that it will try to bring forward to 2016 the free trade agreement with Chile, Peru and Colombia, scheduled for 2019 and underlined the need for Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance to converge as part of the region's productive integration process.

• Friday, August 8th 2014 - 07:18 UTC

  Santos pledges peace on inauguration ceremony but also warns FARC

  

  Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos was sworn in to a second term on Thursday promising to bring peace and equality to the nation, but warned Narco-Marxist rebels that talks to end five decades of war could rupture if hostilities against civilians continue. “Members of the FARC: you have been warned!” he said.

• Thursday, August 7th 2014 - 08:10 UTC

  Rousseff claims EU has yet to agree on a proposal to exchange with Mercosur

  

  President Dilma Rousseff claimed before the Brazil's farmers lobby that the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union is stalled and is not fulfilled because of the 'resistance' from several European countries, and specifically named France, Hungary and Ireland.

• Thursday, August 7th 2014 - 07:41 UTC

  Putin retaliates US/EU sanctions: plans to redirect food purchases from Latam

  

  Russia will ban all imports of US food products as well as fruit and vegetables from the European Union after President Vladimir Putin ordered retaliation for Western sanctions against Moscow, a state news agency reported today.

• Thursday, August 7th 2014 - 07:34 UTC

  Carnival Cruise Lines to build a 70m tourism port at La Tortue, in Haiti

  

  Haiti announced it has signed a multi-million dollar agreement with the US-based Carnival Cruise Lines to build a tourism port on the island of Latortue, north of the island. Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said the 70 million dollars project will help improve the lives of the estimated 36,000 people residing in the area.

• Thursday, August 7th 2014 - 06:32 UTC

  Mercosur trade deal is a priority for the EU under Italian presidency

  

  Foreign minister Federica Mogherini pledged that under the current Italian presidency of the European Union, top priority will be given to signing the pending trade agreements, among which that with Mercosur still under discussion.