Latin America

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 21:21 UTC

  Brazil's vulnerable transport system again exposed as Rio commuter train accident sowed chaos

  

  A commuter train in Rio de Janeiro left the tracks and hit a pole supporting power lines early Wednesday, causing no injuries but sowing widespread chaos across the overburdened public transportation system of Brazil's Olympic city which next June/July will host several World Cup matches.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 20:57 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez is back on stage and announces program to help the young unemployed

  

  Forty two days after her last public speech, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez was back on stage on Wednesday evening on national television to criticize the media, question the opposition and announce a new social plan to aid young unemployed and encourage them to study.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 09:47 UTC

  Almagro and Timerman discuss bilateral agenda and possible Cristina Fernandez-Mujica meeting

  

  A meeting of the presidents from Argentina and Uruguay, Cristina Fernandez and Jose Mujica has not been agreed but is 'in the agenda' said Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro following an hour long meeting with his counterpart Hector Timerman on Wednesday in Montevideo.

• Thursday, January 23rd 2014 - 09:26 UTC

  US dollar with no cap in Argentina: climbs 3.4% in a single day

  

  The US dollar in the Argentine official market on Wednesday soared 23 cents to 7.125 Pesos, establishing a new record in the midst of uncertainty and frantic trading. The last time the greenback price climbed 3.4% in a single day was back in April 2002. Since the beginning of the year the Argentine peso has plunged 9% against the dollar and a year ago the dollar stood at 5 Argentine Pesos.

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 11:29 UTC

  Uruguay warns trade negotiations with EU could leave “a Mercosur member out”

  

  Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro said it should not come as a surprise if the negotiations for a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union does not include all four original full members and leaves one out, although the objective is for all members to be part of the accord.

• Wednesday, January 22nd 2014 - 11:19 UTC

  Malvinas: Timerman happy because region summit will state that the Islands are Argentine

  

  Argentina is looking forward to the coming Celac summit because there will be an overwhelming acknowledgement that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine and the need for bilateral negotiations, as well as a unanimous rejection of the US blockade on Cuba, said Foreign minister Hector Timerman.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 15:24 UTC

  Mujica says Mercosur is 'seriously impaired” and admits resignation in relations with Argentina

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said that Mercosur is “seriously impaired” but it also has its strong points, and the fact Paraguay resumes full membership is very positive. Mujica was interviewed by a government financed newspaper, La República and again referred to the postponed Mercosur summit and the deteriorated relations with Argentina.

• Tuesday, January 21st 2014 - 14:55 UTC

  Argentina and Brazil with the largest and fastest growing fiscal pressure in Latam

  

  Argentina’s tax revenue was at last count the largest and fastest growing in the region, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) revealed on Monday. At 37.3%, the latest tax revenue-to-GDP data put Argentina ahead of Brazil, with tax revenue worth 36.3% of its GDP in 2012 — and a few percentage points above the average for OECD countries at 34.6%.

• Monday, January 20th 2014 - 22:07 UTC

  Cuba proposes declaring Latam and the Caribbean a Zone of Peace

  

  Cuba that is hosting a major regional summit at the end of the month will propose that Latin America and the Caribbean be declared a Zone of Peace, according to reports from the Cuban Foreign ministry.

• Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 06:39 UTC

  US dollar approaching the 12 Pesos mark in Argentina

  

  The US dollar in Argentina reached a new record on Friday at the end of nerve racking week which saw the greenback in the parallel market climb another 40 cents and close at 11.90 and 11.95 Pesos purchase and sale prices. During the week the US dollar soared 1.15 Pesos, and closed the week with a gap of 75.6% between the official dollar exchange and the 'blue' dollar.