Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) said Sunday in Santiago that he admired late Chilean President Salvador Allende, who was a victim of scoundrels. The visiting leader made those remarks on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the military coup d'état by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, which overthrew the Socialist head of state and started a 17-year dictatorship.
Argentina was part of the Global South, which this week made a presentation before the European Union expressing deep concern about the distorting effects of the new EU ruling, from June 2023, referred to goods that are demanded to be free of deforestation consequences.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador met in Cali with his Colombian colleague Gustavo Petro on the first day of his official trip to Colombia, it was reported. Both heads of state attended the closing of the three-day Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs.
Argentina's Ambassador to Bolivia Ariel Basteiro Friday said an addendum to the current agreement will bring forward from 2026 to mid-2024 the end of the gas purchase contract between the two countries.
Councilman Bolívar Vera, 42, of the municipality of Durán was kidnapped and murdered in a new episode of Ecuador's political violence saga one month ahead of the presidential runoff. Vera's body was found Friday on a road in the rural sector of Salitre with his hands tied in the province of Guayas, it was also reported. He had been reported missing on Thursday, Sept. 7.
Venezuela's National Assembly gave the green light for President Nicolás Maduro to leave the country on an international tour of friendly nations, it was reported in Caracas.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández Thursday said his country would guarantee the supply of natural gas to neighboring Chile until Dec. 31, 2024, it was reported in Buenos Aires. With Bolivia's production declining, South America is looking to Vaca Muerta as a possible source, it was also explained. Between January and July, Argentina sold Chile US$ 556 million worth of natural gas, an 86.8% growth from the same period last year.
Death threats against the media doubled in Ecuador from last year's figures, three press associations denounced in Quito Thursday during a press conference. At least 15 journalists have received life-threatening messages amid growing violence nationwide.
By Rodrigo Valdes, IMF Director of the Western Hemisphere Department
The region, which successfully navigated economic turmoil, now must boost inclusive growth, reduce debt, and capitalize on new opportunities. Praise for policies implemented by the LA5 Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and also Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Costa Rica.
The latest report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) released Tuesday in Santiago foresees low regional growth for at least the next two years. For 2023, the organization projects a 1.7% increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while in 2024 it would fall to 1.5%, while the world's GDP is expected to grow by 3% in 2023 and 2024, down from 3.5% in 2022.