Latin America

• Wednesday, September 4th 2013 - 01:26 UTC

  Brazil's inflation tendency again picks up as food and transport prices rebound

  

  Brazil’s twelve-month inflation ended August at its lowest level this year, according to a central bank survey of fourteen economists. This means the 12-month IPCA consumer-price index is likely to weigh in at 6.10% for August, down from 6.27% at the end of July.

• Wednesday, September 4th 2013 - 00:36 UTC

  Food, education and healthcare rising prices keep Uruguay’s inflation out of target

  

  Uruguay’s inflation in August kept climbing and reached 1.04%, totalling 6.74% in the first eight months of the year and 8.86% in the last twelve months, which is well above the Central bank target of 4% to 6%, according to the latest report from the local Statistics Office, INE.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 23:53 UTC

  Colombia/FARC peace talks at a ‘critical’ stage says government negotiator

  

  Colombia's peace talks with Marxist FARC rebels have reached a “critical” stage, with discussions over the next couple of months a key gauge of whether an end to five decades of war is likely or not, government negotiator Sergio Jaramillo said on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 23:45 UTC

  Leading industrialist tells Cristina Fernandez to abide by the rules of democracy, otherwise it is ‘Chavism’

  

  Deputy Chairman of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) Cristiano Ratazzi said that President Cristina Fernández “should leave office once her term ends” because those are the rules of democracy, otherwise it is ‘Chavism’.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 23:25 UTC

  Blackout leaves half of Venezuela in the dark; Maduro claims an “electrical coup”

  

  President Nicolas Maduro blamed Venezuela’s right-wing opposition for what he called “sabotage” and an ‘electrical coup’ that he said caused blackouts that plunged much of the country into chaos.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:49 UTC

  President Santos prepares for the last leg of his four year mandate

  

  The Colombian ministerial cabinet presented on Monday a protocol resignation to President Juan Manuel Santos so that the leader can make the necessary changes as his administration prepares for the last year of his mandate, according to Palacio Nariño sources.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:42 UTC

  Colombia government warns effective peace conditions with FARC could take ten years

  

  The head of the Colombian negotiation team Humberto de la Calle cautioned on Monday that in case a definitive agreement is reached with the FARC rebel forces, (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces), peace could reach ten years after the ratification of the accord.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:37 UTC

  Paraguay insists in reviewing all decisions adopted by Mercosur during its 14-month suspension

  

  Foreign minister Eladio Loizaga said Paraguay will hold before Mercosur the same position it sustained at the Unasur summit in Suriname requesting that all decisions adopted during the last year and two months in which the country was suspended, are formally analyzed.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:33 UTC

  Journalist Greenwald promises more revelations on the NSA spying network

  

  The US National Security Agency also intercepted text messages by Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto in which the then-presidential front-runner discusses two possible cabinet picks, journalist Glenn Greenwald said on Sunday night’s show ‘Fantastico’, citing a 24-slide presentation. Peña Nieto assumed office in December 2012.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:29 UTC

  Brazil outraged with NSA spying waiting for a ‘satisfactory reply’ from Obama

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Roussef is considering at least three reactions to the US government following allegations that the US National Security Agency, NSA, spy program targeted the president, her ministers and advisors as revealed by the O Globo television program ‘Fantastico’. Earlier on Monday US Ambassador Thomas Shannon was summoned by Foreign minister Luiz Alberto Figuereido.