Latin America

• Tuesday, July 1st 2014 - 10:16 UTC

  Mercosur waking up to the significance and impact of the Pacific Alliance

  

  Mercosur leaders called for dialogue with the Pacific Alliance over its perception that Mercosur is becoming an obstacle to integration and wider growth in the region. Uruguayan Vice-President Danilo Astori seemingly sparked the debate a few weeks ago when he said that “Mercosur mustn’t be a terminal station,” calling for formal trade deals with the Pacific Alliance.

• Tuesday, July 1st 2014 - 08:16 UTC

  Obama and 'second favorite Michelle' exchange praise at the White House

  

  President Barack Obama and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet pledged to work together to strengthen the ties between both nations, including projects on energy, education and free trade. Obama met in the Oval Office on Monday with Bachelet, whom he called his second favorite Michelle.

• Tuesday, July 1st 2014 - 07:50 UTC

  Uruguay received 237 cruise calls in 2013/14 with 409.367 visitors

  

  During the 2013/14 season, 237 cruise vessels called in Uruguay's two main ports, Montevideo and Punta del Este, with 409.367 visitors, a 6,3% increase in calls over the previous season, according to a report released by the country's presidential web-site.

• Monday, June 30th 2014 - 06:44 UTC

  Uruguay ratifies Bolivia's Mercosur incorporation; consolidates Atlantic/Pacific corridor

  

  Uruguay promulgated the bill which incorporates Bolivia as the latest member of Mercosur, the South American group made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. The incorporation of Bolivia should help with the consolidation of a Mercosur Atlantic-Pacific corridor across South America.

• Monday, June 30th 2014 - 05:32 UTC

  Falklands becomes launching pad for Argentine presidential hopeful campaign

  

  The Argentine 2015 presidential campaign has reached the Falkland Islands. Presidential hopeful and former Vice-president Julio Cleto Cobos is currently visiting the Falklands where he arrived on Saturday on the Lan Chile weekly flight and will spend the rest of the week in the Islands.

• Saturday, June 28th 2014 - 10:43 UTC

  Swire on a five-day visit of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Colombia

  

  Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire was on a five day visit to Costa Rica, Guatemala and Colombia this week, following recent elections in both countries and with the purpose of expanding political and trade relations.

• Wednesday, June 25th 2014 - 06:22 UTC

  Uruguay's second pulp mill begins production: 1.3million tons annually

  

  Uruguay's second pulp mill Montes del Plata started production this week following an investment of 2 billion dollars, the largest ever in the recent history of the country. The announcement was made by the Chilean-Swedish complex that is running the plant.

• Monday, June 23rd 2014 - 22:14 UTC

  Hugo Swire visits Costa Rica to meet the new government officials

  

  The British Minister of State for Latin America, Hugo Swire, arrived to Costa Rica on Monday June for his first official visit to the Central American country and the British Government’s first audience with the new government since the inauguration of President Luis Guillermo Solis on 8 May 2014.

• Monday, June 23rd 2014 - 04:39 UTC

  Mercosur and Celac stand by Argentina in the hedge funds litigation

  

  Mercosur and Celac country-members expressed support for Argentina and its ongoing litigation with the holdout hedge funds, particularly last week's decision from the US Supreme Court, (which refused to consider the case), and the financial consequences emerging from such a position.

• Monday, June 23rd 2014 - 03:52 UTC

  Rousseff-Temer make official their re-election bid for 5 October

  

  The ruling Workers Party, or PT, Latin America's largest political force of the left that has governed Brazil since 2003, proclaimed Saturday at its national convention the candidacy of President Dilma Rousseff for a second term in the coming Oct. 5 elections.