Latin America

• Tuesday, May 14th 2013 - 06:58 UTC

  Under Brazilian suggestion, Maduro says he is prepared for political dialogue with Capriles

  

  Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said he is prepared for political dialogue with the leader of the opposition Henrique Capriles to ensure peace in the country, even if it means “talking to the devil”. He also warned that United States must “give a huge leap forward” if relations as equals are to be advanced between Caracas and Washington.

• Tuesday, May 14th 2013 - 06:36 UTC

  Petrobras completes record bond offering and collects 11 billion dollars

  

  Brazil’s state-controlled oil firm Petrobras sold 11 billion dollars of global debt on Monday in the largest-ever bond offering by a Latin American company. The deal was split in six tranches comprised of fixed- and floating-rate debt with maturities ranging from three to 30 years, according to a report from Thomson Reuters.

• Tuesday, May 14th 2013 - 06:08 UTC

  Venezuela’s only opposition television network sold to a group close to the government

  

  Globovision, Venezuela's only opposition television network which had a long history of clashes with the populist government of deceased President Hugo Chavez and his Bolivarian revolution, was sold Monday and will change its critical coverage, network officials said.
  “This channel already has been sold off,” the network's website said in a statement.

• Monday, May 13th 2013 - 04:21 UTC

  Maduro trying to deal with his main challenges: food scarcity and inflation

  

  President Nicolas Maduro accused Lorenzo Mendoza, owner of Empresas Polar SA, Venezuela’s largest privately held company, of reducing food production and creating shortages amid record scarcity and the region’s fastest inflation close to 30%.

• Monday, May 13th 2013 - 04:08 UTC

  German president in Brazil to promote trade and investments

  

  German President Joachim Gauck arrived on Sunday to Brazil with economic and trade issues as the centre of his visit. The trip to Sao Paulo marks the start of the Year of Germany in Brazil, which Gauck's predecessor Christian Wulff agreed on with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in May 2011.

• Saturday, May 11th 2013 - 10:35 UTC

  UK ambassador praises Chilean judicial system in case involving death of British citizen in 1973

  

  This week a Chilean court found two retired naval officers guilty in connection with the kidnapping, torture and murder of a Chilean-British citizen in September 1973; UK Ambassador Jon Benjamin made a statement about the verdicts in trial of those accused.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:54 UTC

  Change of policy? Obama hosts Chile and Peru presidents; Biden visits Brazil and Colombia

  

  The White House announced that Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera will travel to Washington in June and meet with President Barack Obama. The White House also said that Vice President Joe Biden’s next week will visit Brazil and Colombia with a stop in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:44 UTC

  Brazil endorses Maduro and pledged support to develop agriculture and infrastructure

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro got strong backing from regional heavyweight Brazil on a tour of Mercosur allies to cement his legitimacy as political heir to the late Hugo Chavez.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:40 UTC

  Paraguay requests Pacific Alliance observer status; moves ‘beyond Mercosur’

  

  Paraguay has made official its request to become an observer of the Pacific Alliance, (Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru), as part of its policy to strengthen relations with other countries that goes beyond Mercosur and has proven very successful for the exchange of experiences.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:35 UTC

  Paraguay discussing inviting Maduro to the inauguration of president-elect Cartes

  

  Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes transition team said that Venezuela should be present at the inauguration ceremony of the new head of state scheduled for 15 August, despite the ‘current circumstances’ of bilateral relations.