Latin America

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 18:49 UTC

  Inflation in Uruguay during November climbs 0.2%, but still above target

  

  Consumer prices in Uruguay during November increased 0.2% over the previous month with annual inflation reaching 8.51% compared to the 8.67% of October. Nevertheless in the eleven months of 2013, consumer prices have climbed 9.31%, which is a whole percentage point higher than the same period a year ago, according to the latest release from the country's Stats Office, INE.

• Thursday, December 5th 2013 - 05:56 UTC

  Taking a positive Falklands message to Brazil

  

  “Unthinkable, unacceptable and unsupportable” was how Joanisval Brito Goncalves, Senior Legilslative Counselor for International Affairs and Defence Issues at the Brazilian Senate, described the Argentine government’s attitude to the Falkland/ Malvinas Islands in a press conference held in Stanley on Wednesday afternoon.

• Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 06:00 UTC

  Blackout leaves Maduro speechless; blame falls on the fascist opposition'

  

  A huge power outage that darkened Venezuela's capital and parts of the country was a conspiracy to sabotage the Socialist government, according to Venezuela's President Nicholas Maduro. The blackout came five days ahead of Sunday's municipal elections.

• Tuesday, December 3rd 2013 - 21:06 UTC

  Argentines will have to spend summer holidays at home; tourist dollar up 35%

  

  In an attempt to stop the drain of Argentina Central Bank international reserves, the government of President Cristina Fernandez has decided to take the 20% income tax advance to 35% for all credit and debit card purchases made abroad. The move will also involve the purchase of dollars for Argentines travelling abroad with the US currency climbing now to 8.322 pesos.

• Tuesday, December 3rd 2013 - 17:38 UTC

  Chilean presidential candidates working together against voters' apathy

  

  Voter turnout in Chile's extreme north and south fell far short of national average, and candidates will look further afield for votes in upcoming elections December 15. As Chile’s presidential candidates turn their heads to the country’s far-flung regions, a report by La Tercera demonstrates the particularly high rates of abstention in rural areas in both the extreme north and south.

• Monday, December 2nd 2013 - 13:32 UTC

  Chile among leading exporters of 23 non-copper related products

  

  Chile leads the world in copper production but the country must do more to diversify its export-driven economy, according to experts. Precisely to diversify several government and industry bodies have spent years promoting Chile’s major non-mining related export items, which consist largely of produce, wood products and aquaculture.

• Saturday, November 30th 2013 - 19:49 UTC

  Panama reaffirms support for Argentina's Malvinas claim and promotes 'friendship groups' at congressional level

  

  Panama Foreign minister Fernando Núñez Fábrega underlined his country's traditional and committed support for Argentina's sovereignty claims over the Malvinas and other South Atlantic Islands and their adjoining maritime spaces, an issue that was discussed during this week's visit to Buenos Aires, a special guest of his peer Hector Timerman.

• Saturday, November 30th 2013 - 06:46 UTC

  Argentina, Brazil and Chile elected to the Int. Maritime Organization council

  

  Argentina, Chile and Brazil have been elected to be members of the International Maritime Organization Council for the 2014/15 biennium by the IMO assembly, which is meeting in London.

• Friday, November 29th 2013 - 23:30 UTC

  Brazil will have its own national-made secure communications satellite by 2016

  

  Brazil's state-owned telecom provider Telebras signed a 560m dollar contract to deliver a satellite for secure communications on Thursday, following months of outrage over revelations of US cyber spying. A statement said a joint venture between Telebras and Embraer would deliver the geostationary satellite for strategic communications by late 2016.

• Friday, November 29th 2013 - 07:44 UTC

  Mujica questions Argentine trade policies towards Mercosur that “take us back to the sixties”

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica again questioned Argentine president Cristina Fernandez administration trade policies which he said take us back 'to the sixties, when everybody locked in', and in effect deny Mercosur and harm other members.