Latin America

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 05:28 UTC

  Blackouts continue in Argentina while government keeps threatening power distributors

  

  Blackouts continued in several neighborhoods of Argentina's metropolitan Buenos Aires area while protests increased including pickets in highways, attempts to set on fire power distributors offices or kidnap power companies' officers while the only resource from government has been to blame companies and threaten to take over utilities.

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 05:18 UTC

  Australian cruise operators interested in developing Puerto Williams in Chile

  

  Australian travel agents linked to the cruise industry visited Puerto Williams in the extreme south of Chile to check on the facilities, services and infrastructure with the purpose of planning cruise calls on a regular basis. Puerto Williams in located on Navarino island across from Ushuaia in Argentina.

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 04:58 UTC

  Argentina makes its case to Forbes: 'commitment has been to treat all bondholders equally'

  

  By Cecilia Nahón (*) - The op-ed published on October 21 entitled “Supreme Court Moves Us Closer To Holding Deadbeat Argentina Accountable” openly distorts Argentina´s recent history and the facts surrounding its debt restructuring.

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 00:16 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez determined to decide on the incumbent candidate for 2015

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez denied point blank any prospects of her running for office for a third consecutive period or any other elected post in the 2015 elections. Member of Congress Carlos Kunkel, considered an 'ultra-Kirchnerite' said on Christmas that at the end of her mandate “Cristina will continue in politics”. However Cristina will apparently decide on the incumbent presidential candidate for 2015.

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 00:05 UTC

  Over 10m Argentines live in poverty conditions, says Catholic University

  

  Over a quarter of the Argentine population live in poverty conditions, with no formal job, poor quality education, dreadful housing and insufficient healthcare, according to the latest paper from the Buenos Aires Catholic University Social Debt Observatory.

• Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 07:43 UTC

  Trickle-down economics in one of South America’s poorest countries, Paraguay

  

  The Economist has dedicated an article to the recently inaugurated Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes, and his attempts to improve the living conditions of the majority of a population which is poor in a country rich in agriculture and energy.

• Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 06:00 UTC

  UK sponsored 'innovation vouchers' for Chilean small and medium sized enterprises

  

  Fifteen “innovation vouchers” were awarded to Chilean (Small and medium enterprises), SMEs who will now begin working with project teams from the Universidad Católica, Universidad de Desarrollo and Universidad de Santiago to improve their company’s products and services.

• Monday, December 23rd 2013 - 13:27 UTC

  Argentina successfully launches rocket; “program to recover defense capabilities”

  

  Argentina successfully launched a research rocket as part of its space program, the Defense Ministry said on Friday. The launch took place on Wednesday from Chamical, in La Rioja province, 880 km northwest of the capital.

• Saturday, December 21st 2013 - 21:22 UTC

  Uruguay Economy minister resigns over scandal involving flag air carrier Pluna

  

  Uruguay's economy minister Fernando Lorenzo resigned on Saturday in the face of questions over the alleged irregular sale of government-owned airplanes following the closure of Pluna, the country's flag carrier, President Jose Mujica announced at a brief press conference, with no questions taken, next to Vice president Danilo Astori.

• Saturday, December 21st 2013 - 01:59 UTC

  Uruguay's ruling coalition ends 2013 with a majority lead in public opinion

  

  Uruguay's ruling coalition, Broad Front, is closing 2013 with a strong 44% electoral support, which is higher than all the opposition put together, according to the latest Mori public opinion poll on vote intention and support for the presidential hopefuls