Latin America

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.
Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 06:10 UTC
Haiti PM Lamonthe pledges free, fair and honest elections later this year

Haiti’s Prime Minister Laurent Lamonthe has pledged that his government will provide the necessary means to the electoral council to facilitate the holding of legislative and local elections this year.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:23 UTC
Taiwan grant to Santa Lucia for development and fisheries

Taiwan is providing an estimated 3.5 million dollars grant to St. Lucia in the Caribbean to fund three projects identified by the PM Kenny Anthony administration.
Friday, January 17th 2014 - 07:00 UTC
Chile's main ports remain paralyzed amid clashes with police and suspended negotiations

Chile's main ports continued paralyzed as negotiations between striking workers and authorities are at an impasse and ugly skirmishes with police play out amid millions of cases of perishable export produce which are likely to spoil.
Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:34 UTC
Argentine central bank reserves fall below the 30bn dollars threshold

Argentine central bank international reserves continued to erode and on Wednesday pierced through the 30bn floor threshold reaching 29.858bn dollars, the lowest level since November 2006. On Tuesday reserves stood at 30.019bn.
Thursday, January 16th 2014 - 09:04 UTC
Open pit mining project in Uruguay questioned in Parliament and by environmentalists

A major open pit mining project in Uruguay to extract and export magnetite (a kind of iron ore) and which the government of President Jose Mujica plans to instrument this month has been exposed to a battery of criticism because the administration refuses to show the terms of the contract and farm groups argue there is no final environment impact assessment study.
Wednesday, January 15th 2014 - 19:33 UTC
Second Brazilian airline promises to cap fares for the coming World Cup

Avianca Brasil has joined Azul in becoming the second Brazilian airline to promise to cap prices for the upcoming football World Cup, which opens June 12 in Sao Paulo. Avianca said it would match Azul and limit one-way fares to a maximum of 999 Reais (425 dollars).