Latin America

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 06:11 UTC

  Argentina’s economic activity picks up 7.8% in May and 4.1% in first five months

  

  Argentina's economic activity jumped 7.8% in May from a year earlier, according to the country’s questioned stats office, Indec. President Cristina Fernandez had anticipated the news earlier in the week in a televised speech.

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 05:57 UTC

  Brazil the seventh most violent country; in 30 years homicides soared 132%, says Map of Violence

  

  More than one million people were murdered in Brazil between 1980 and 2011, making it the world’s seventh-most violent country, according to the Map of Violence survey. In that period the homicides soared 132% to claim 1,145,208 lives, from a rate of 11.5 murders for 100,000 inhabitants in 1980 to 27 per 100,000 in 2011.

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 05:35 UTC

  Fitch maintains Brazil’s debt outlook ‘stable’ and minister says the report was ‘fair’

  

  Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said that Fitch's decision to maintain the country’s debt outlook at stable was “fair” given Brazil robust finances and lesser debt burden.

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 05:27 UTC

  Bolivia’s Morales apologizes to for 2011 incident when a Brazilian Defence ministry aircraft was searched

  

  Bolivia's President Evo Morales apologized to Brazil Friday for a 2011 incident in which authorities searched a Brazilian military aircraft for drugs. Brazil lodged an official complaint several days ago as Morales was demanding apologies from European countries for blocking his flight home from Moscow earlier this month.

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 05:22 UTC

  All four EU countries involved in the Morales plane incident have officially apologized

  

  Italy and Portugal have officially apologized for involvement in illegally re-routing the plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales earlier this month during a flight home from Moscow. On 3 July a number Western European countries closed their airspace to the presidential aircraft on a false suspicion that leaker of US electronic spying Edward Snowden was onboard, forcing the plane to land in Vienna.

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 05:07 UTC

  Lessons from India Jindal’s Bolivian investment failure

  

  Jindal’s integrated mining and steel project in Bolivia was the largest contract secured by an Indian company in Latin America. The project, which ultimately became a victim of the country's domestic politics, has lessons for Indian companies venturing into Latin America.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 06:34 UTC

  Kirchnerite candidates in four main districts ahead of mid term election trail behind

  

  The latest round of public opinion polls for the coming mid term elections next October in Argentina don’t fare well for President Cristina Fernandez particularly in the country’s four main electoral circumscriptions, Buenos Aires province, Buenos Aires City, Santa Fe and Cordoba.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 06:29 UTC

  Pope Francis wants direct contact with the crowds when he visits Brazil next week

  

  Pope Francis will not use bullet-proof ‘Pope-mobiles’ on his visit to Brazil next week to allow him more direct contact with crowds despite the security risks, according to a Vatican release.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 06:26 UTC

  Piñera wants a ‘ladies fight’ for the coming November presidential election

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera defended the need for an only candidate in the ruling coalition for the coming presidential election of November and considered it should be a woman, suggesting the name of Labour minister Evelyn Matthei.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 02:43 UTC

  Fiona Clouder appointed new British ambassador to Chile

  

  Fiona Clouder has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to Chile, announced the Foreign Office. Ms Clouder will succeed Mr Jon Benjamin, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Clouder will take up her appointment during February 2014.