Latin America

• Wednesday, May 14th 2014 - 00:24 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez ally union admits 18.8% (7 million) of Argentines are under the poverty line

  

  At least 7 million Argentines, or 18.8% of the population, currently find themselves under the poverty line, with 1.7 million (4.2%) classed as in extreme poverty or indigence, according to a new report from the Argentine Workers' Central (CTA) union headed by the Cristina Fernandez government ally Hugo Yasky.

• Tuesday, May 13th 2014 - 19:11 UTC

  Argentina and Chile presidents pledge to increase border crossings

  

  President Cristina Fernández received on Monday her Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet and discussed the re-launching of the Maipú Agreement -signed in 2009- to increase the links between the two countries and boost regional commerce with Asia.

• Tuesday, May 13th 2014 - 18:51 UTC

  IMF warns Latin America about changing times and calls for fiscal prudence

  

  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that Argentina could benefit from cutting public spending destined for subsidies on energy costs, stating that such policies are “very costly and distort economic activity.”

• Tuesday, May 13th 2014 - 08:29 UTC

  Argentina satisfied “with Chile's renewed support for the Malvinas cause”

  

  Argentina's president of the Lower House, Julián Domínguez underlined the “renewed Chilean support for the Malvinas Islands cause” during an event on Monday at the Legislative Assembly which received Chilean president Michelle Bachelet in Congress.

• Tuesday, May 13th 2014 - 08:14 UTC

  Brazil seals land borders with 30.000 troops ahead of the World Cup

  

  Brazil began deploying over the weekend some 30,000 troops to secure its borders as it prepares to host the World Cup that kicks off next month. The operation involving the army, navy and air force will extend over the 16,900-kilometer frontier separating the South American giant from its 10 neighbors.

• Tuesday, May 13th 2014 - 02:38 UTC

  Uruguay agrees to take 8 to 12 Guantanamo prisoners; announcement in 'a couple of weeks'

  

  The administration of president Jose Mujica is willing to take eight to twelve of Guantanamo prisoners as refugees in Uruguay and this could happen once the US Senate approves a bill to that purpose, according to sources from the ministerial delegation currently in Washington.

• Monday, May 12th 2014 - 23:56 UTC

  Mujica asks Obama support for scientific knowledge and to combat smoking

  

  In an enjoyable press conference at the White House Uruguay's President Jose Mujica spoke about the increasing importance for people in the US to be bilingual, the dangers of smoking and his interest in having access to U.S. knowledge and professors. President Barrack Obama praised the Uruguayan leader's 'extraordinary' credibility and leadership in democracy and human rights issues.

• Monday, May 12th 2014 - 23:51 UTC

  Lima ranks as the Latin American with best reputation for making business

  

  Lima, capital of Peru outstands as the leading Latin American city to make business, followed by Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Sao Paulo, Brazil, although these last two actually dropped from the previous ranking, according to an annual list made by the Bogotá Rosario University.

• Monday, May 12th 2014 - 06:34 UTC

  Panama elected-president pledges to normalize relations with Venezuela and Colombia

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Panamanian president-elect Juan Carlos Varela have pledged to waste no time in normalizing relations and re-launching diplomatic, economic and trade ties cut off two months ago, Venezuela's foreign ministry announced. Varela takes office next July first.

• Saturday, May 10th 2014 - 00:45 UTC

  Latam and Caribbean committed to eradicate hunger in the region by 2025

  

  Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have advanced a robust agenda aimed at achieving the eradication of hunger in the region, during a major FAO meeting which concluded on Friday in Chile.