Latin America

• Wednesday, January 29th 2014 - 20:37 UTC

  Ecuador readies witch hunt against certain journalists, claims NGO Fundamedios

  

  Ecuadorean non-governmental organization Fundamedios claimed that President Rafael Correa is trying to stop it from operating normally after the government announced that the “administrative control” of the NGO would be transferred to the national Communications Secretariat.

• Wednesday, January 29th 2014 - 06:51 UTC

  Argentine foreign money market operating at 8.015 Pesos to the US dollar

  

  For second day running the Argentine foreign money market reacted with normality with the official rate of the US dollar closing at 8.015 Pesos, while the so called 'reference dollar' for savings traded at 9.62 Pesos and the 'blue' or parallel climbed 35 cents to 12.50 Pesos.

• Wednesday, January 29th 2014 - 06:40 UTC

  Nicaragua's Ortega joins the club of Latam leaders addicted to remaining in office

  

  Nicaragua's national assembly voted to scrap presidential term limits, which could allow current head of state Daniel Ortega to run again for election at the end of his current mandate.

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 22:38 UTC

  Maduro wants Puerto Rico to join Celac, a territory 'free of colonies'

  

  President Nicolás Maduro described the current CELAC summit in Havana as historic and revealed Venezuela has proposed that the group's territories be considered 'free of colonies' and thus invites Puerto Rico to formally join Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean state).

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 21:12 UTC

  Cuba opens Celac summit and warns against 'foreign interference'

  

  The President of Cuba Raúl Castro warned against the “foreign interference” suffered by Latin America and the Caribbean region at the Tuesday opening of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in Havana, which brought together representatives from the 33-nation group.

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 19:20 UTC

  Anglo-Colombian defense conference onboard HMS Richmond in Cartagena

  

  The third annual Anglo-Colombian Strategic Defense Conference was held this week onboard HMS Richmond in Cartagena. The Portsmouth based type 23 returning from her Atlantic deployment also supported Defense and Security Industry Day while alongside in the Colombian port.

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 17:57 UTC

  What can the U.S. learn from Latin America’s declining inequality?

  

  By Heraldo Muñoz (*) - President Obama recently declared that inequality is “the defining challenge of our age.” When inequality is becoming a growing debate in the United States, what lessons can be drawn from Latin America, which — although still highly unequal — is the only region that managed to reduce income inequality in the last decade?

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 06:41 UTC

  UN highest court settles maritime dispute: pride for Peru, rich fisheries remain for Chile

  

  The United Nations’ highest court set a maritime boundary between Chile and Peru on Monday that grants Peruvians a bigger piece of the Pacific Ocean while keeping rich coastal fishing grounds in the hands of Chilean industry. Despite high emotions over the dispute, the ruling is expected to have little effect on cordial ties between the two neighbors whose economic interdependence has grown greatly in recent years.

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 05:56 UTC

  Three crucial ministries in Chilean president elect Bachelet cabinet

  

  Chile’s President-elect Michelle Bachelet ended weeks of speculation about the composition of her Cabinet as she prepares to re-take the presidency on March 11 following her overwhelming win with her New Majority coalition in December 2013. Three ministries will be crucial if Bachelet is to keep her education reform program: Education, Finance and Interior.

• Tuesday, January 28th 2014 - 05:05 UTC

  Argentine market cautious reaction to new rules on foreign exchange and dollar savings

  

  In what promises to be a week of surprises as the Argentine government unfolds measures to contain the price of the US dollar, this Monday the peso held relatively stable after last week's sharp devaluation. While the official rate remained unchanged at 8.01 Pesos for a greenback, in the parallel market it climbed to 12.15 Pesos.