Latin America

• Wednesday, October 23rd 2013 - 01:33 UTC

  Argentina signs with Belize a South/South cooperation agreement in several fields

  

  As part of Argentina's foreign policy to increase links and cooperation with the Caribbean, Foreign minister Hector Timerman and his peer from Belize, Wilfred Elrington signed a South to South cooperation agreement which covers several fields and opens trade opportunities.

• Wednesday, October 23rd 2013 - 00:34 UTC

  Uruguay: President Mujica popularity and approval stand at 51% and 45%, opinion poll shows

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica popularity reached 51% in October while approval of his performance stood at 45%, according to the latest opinion poll released this week and a year ahead of national elections. In Uruguay there is no re-election

• Wednesday, October 23rd 2013 - 00:24 UTC

  Falklands/Panama 'friendship group' at legislative level is announced in Panama

  

  Following an initiative from a group of lawmakers that recently visited the Falkland Islands, the Panama National Assembly signed a resolution for the creation of an “Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group” between the Falklands and Panama.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 22:50 UTC

  Cuba to scrap two-currency system which helped creation of a two-tier class system

  

  Cuba is to scrap its two-currency system in the latest financial reform rolled out by President Raul Castro, official media report. Since 1994 Cuba has had two currencies, one pegged to the US dollar and the other worth only a fraction of that. The more valuable convertible peso (CUC) was reserved for use in the tourism sector and foreign trade. Now its value will be gradually unified with the lower-value CUP, ending a system resented by ordinary Cubans.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 20:01 UTC

  Chilean leading presidential candidate comments trigger anti-terrorism law debate

  

  Chile’s controversial anti-terrorism law became a major talking point for presidential candidates as the country nears elections after front-runner Michelle Bachelet spoke out against the law’s application in a widely publicized arson case which resulted in two deaths.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 19:58 UTC

  Interpol and Rio 2016 Olympics committee sign agreement to strengthen security

  

  An agreement has been signed by INTERPOL and the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the world police body to provide additional support to the Brazilian authorities in ensuring the safety and security of the event.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 19:38 UTC

  Lula da Silva praises protests in Brazil as something 'healthy' for democracy

  

  Former president Lula da Silva described the street protests that have shaken Brazil as something 'good and healthy' and said demands reveal that the Brazilian people have discovered that it is possible to aspire for more, although when as a union leader he marched “I didn't destroy public or private property”.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 16:34 UTC

  Cartes and Mujica will address Mercosur and port facilities in Friday's meeting in Montevideo

  

  Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes will be visiting Uruguay next 25 October to meet with his peer Jose Mujica and a month later will be flying to the Vatican to visit Pope Francis, November 25, announced Foreign minister Eladio Loizaga.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 16:26 UTC

  Punta Arenas expects 23% increase in calls this 2013/14 cruise season

  

  Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is expecting over a hundred international calls this coming 2013/14 cruise season, which could reach over 150 including Puerto Natales and the domestic cruise lines, according to local authorities.

• Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 - 05:31 UTC

  Ozone layer hole reaches Argentine and Chilean Patagonia

  

  The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica stretched for the third time this year to reach cities in the south of Argentina and Chile according to the Izaña Atmospheric research centre in Tenerife, Canary Islands.