Latin America

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 23:39 UTC

  First journalist killed in the western hemisphere in 2013 is from Brazil

  

  Renato Machado Gonçalves, the manager and joint owner of Radio Barra FM in Rio de Janeiro state, has become the first journalist to be killed in the western hemisphere in 2013. He was gunned down as he left his home in the north of the state last week.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 14:33 UTC

  Falklands’ referendum, a “democratic and incontestable” answer to Argentina’s ambitions

  

  The Falkland Islands elected government has confirmed the dates and final wording of the referendum on the political status of the Islands, based on their right to self determination and to counter Argentina’s repeated calls for negotiations over sovereignty.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 14:29 UTC

  Falklands does not discard a referendum on ‘full independence in the future’

  

  If at the coming referendum, the Falkland Islands wish to remain a UK Overseas Territory, retaining the current status and preserving the right to self-determination, which would allow the Falkland Islands to review its status at any time, “this could include full independence in the future”, points out the booklet “On the future of the Falkland Islands”.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 06:08 UTC

  OAS will send observers to the February 17 general elections in Ecuador

  

  The Organization of American States will be sending observers to the coming presidential and legislative elections in Ecuador next month and to that effect OAS and Ecuador signed the agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of Observers which provides the conditions for the work of the Electoral Observation Mission.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 06:02 UTC

  Venezuela wants best of relations with the US based on ‘mutual absolute respect’

  

  Vice-president Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that Venezuela is willing to have the ‘best possible relations’ with the US government as long as these are based on respect and equality. He added that it was President Hugo Chavez who instructed the newly named Foreign minister Elias Jaua on the issue.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 00:20 UTC

  Dengue fastest growing tropical disease; represents ‘pandemic threat’, says WHO

  

  Dengue is the world’s fastest-spreading tropical disease and represents a “pandemic threat,” infecting an estimated 50 million people across all continents, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 22:02 UTC

  Uruguay’s growth estimates for this year, 3.86%, according to private estimates

  

  Private analysts lowered their forecasts for Uruguay’s GDP growth this year from an average of 4% in December to 3.86%, according to the latest monthly survey on economic expectations released by the Central Bank. Expectations for January ranged between 3.2% and 4%.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 20:27 UTC

  IMF ‘definitive’ assessment of Argentine inflation and GDP stats in February

  

  IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde confirmed to the Argentine media that next February first the fund will be assessing her critical report on Argentine statistics, which could lead to sanctions for the country.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 16:49 UTC

  Uruguay poised to grow 4% this year; Argentina and Brazil, 3.4%, says World Bank

  

  Uruguay’s economy is poised to grow 4% this year and in 2014, which is above the region’s average, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects issued this week. However Uruguay will be ranked twelfth in the growth ranking of Latinamerica this year but ahead of Brazil and Argentina with 3.4%.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 15:38 UTC

  Atlantic countries concerned with UK presence in Falklands; call for talks with Argentina

  

  Twenty one countries from South America and Africa strongly supported their commitment to keep the South Atlantic free of arms of massive destruction and expressed concern over the British military presence in the Falklands/Malvinas, which are claimed by Argentina.