Latin America

• Thursday, August 15th 2013 - 03:37 UTC

  Argentina July inflation 2.55% and 24.9% in twelve months, says congressional index

  

  Argentina’s inflation according to the ‘congressional index’ reached 2.55% in July and 24.9% in the last twelve months was announced on Wednesday by members from the opposition in the Lower House.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 19:36 UTC

  After inflation hits 42%, Maduro names a more pragmatic president to the Central bank

  

  Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro appointed the third central bank president this year as Latin America’s biggest oil exporter seeks to rein in the fastest inflation among the world’s major economies.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 19:24 UTC

  Bachelet pledges mining reforms, including royalties, to help finance programs

  

  Chile's presidential frontrunner Michelle Bachelet says she is studying possible changes to mining policy in the world's top copper producing country. The possible changes include altering mining royalties and funding programs for state-owned mining company Codelco.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 03:13 UTC

  Chevron-YPF partnership splits the Argentina/Ecuador ‘progressive’ entente

  

  US petroleum giant Chevron has warned that the continuing legal battle with Ecuador's government over pollution charges could put in jeopardy the company's partnership with YPF to exploit the Vaca Muerta shale reserves in the Patagonian province of Neuquén, Argentina.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 03:06 UTC

  Mexico to open state-run oil industry to private sector ending 75-year constitutional ban

  

  Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is making the most daring gamble of his 8-month-old presidency with a proposal to lift a 75 year-old ban on private companies investing in the state-run oil industry, a cornerstone of Mexico’s national pride that’s seen production plummet in recent decades.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 03:03 UTC

  Paraguay new government will give priority to bilateral relations, later Mercosur

  

  The priority of the incoming Paraguayan government of president-elect Horacio Cartes who takes office on Thursday is to recompose bilateral relations with the region’s countries and from then on begin negotiations for the return to Mercosur, said Eladio Loizaga a veteran diplomat who on Tuesday was confirmed as future Foreign affairs minister.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 02:58 UTC

  Brazilian Navy incorporates third UK built Amazonas class ocean patrol vessel

  

  The newest ship in the Brazilian navy's fleet has left the UK on a journey of more than 16.100km to Brazil. “Araguari” which sailed from Portsmouth is the third of three Amazonas class ocean patrol vessels delivered to the Brazilian navy by BAE Systems.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 02:53 UTC

  US intelligence in 1988 considered links of Latam guerrilla groups and drug lords a short term issue

  

  US military believed that the links between the Colombian guerrilla groups and the drug lords at the end of the eighties was a matter of concern but a short term issue, according to declassified minutes of a meeting of US and Brazilian military officers, published by O Estado de Sao Paulo.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 02:49 UTC

  Brazil tells Ferry failure to address electronic spying could cast ‘shadow of mistrust’

  

  Brazil warned US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday that failure to resolve the row over Washington's electronic spying could sow a shadow of mistrust between the countries.

• Wednesday, August 14th 2013 - 02:38 UTC

  Peru Shinning Path leaders killed in shoot out with Army, says president Humala

  

  The number two leader of Peru's Shining Path is believed to have been killed with two other top ranking guerrillas in a battle with government forces, President Ollanta Humala announced.