
By Jude Webber - On Thursday 14 February the prestigious Financial Times published a piece pointing out the influence of Argentina on Uruguay and its economy. The article is simple and straight and is valid because of the Financial Times unquestionable opinion building capacity, and thus merits reproduction.

Venezuelans got the first glimpse in more than two months of their ailing president Friday in a series of photos the government released in a televised announcement. In the photos, Hugo Chavez is lying on a blue pillow, flanked by his two daughters, while he reads the Cuban official newspaper Granma. He is smiling, and his face looks a little swollen.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, one of Latin America's most outspoken leaders is almost certain to win re-election on Sunday by an ample margin catapulting him as the most probable successor of Venezuela’s ailing Hugo Chavez and the populist movement in Latinamerica.

The International Monetary Fund, IMF, praised Venezuela for the recent devaluation of its currency saying it is a positive attempt to reduce macroeconomic misbalances but also called on the government of President Hugo Chavez to continue eliminating the exchange rate distortions.

A Youth Orchestra from Uruguay which performed in the Hall of the Americas at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington DC received a standing ovation.

UK joined the group of countries that vote against granting multilateral organizations’ loans to Argentina as a form of protesting the mistrust generated by the government of President Cristina Fernandez recurrent international misconduct, reports the Buenos Aires media.

Peruvian lawmaker Lourdes Alcorta openly dissented with President Ollanta Humala latest statements on ‘unconditional support for Argentina and the Malvinas issue”, and called to respect the Falkland Islands referendum next month.

Argentina’s president of the Lower House and Malvinas veteran Julián Domínguez described as “treason to Latinamerica” the fact that Uruguayan lawmakers will be travelling to the Falklands to observe the coming referendum on the Islands political status and future.

Argentine ambassador in the UK, Alicia Castro described the coming Falkland Islands referendum on March 10/11 as a ‘media ruse’ and insisted that a three-side dialogue on Malvinas sovereignty is ‘unthinkable’ because the issue is bilateral: UK/Argentina.

Argentine Jewish leaders from Community Centres AMIA and DAIA, Guillermo Borger and Julio Schlosser rejected on Tuesday once more the agreement signed by the Argentine and Iranian governments last week to investigate the 1994 AMIA centre bombing which killed 85 people and left hundreds injured.