Latin America

Friday, October 12th 2012 - 16:05 UTC
Paraguayan Senate rejects Unasur document used as basis to sanction the country

By an overwhelming majority, 36 to 1 and eight absences, the Paraguayan Senate rejected the Unasur Commitment with Democracy Additional Protocol considering it contrary to the sovereign interests of the country and which was the argument used by the regional organization to sanction and suspend Paraguay.
Friday, October 12th 2012 - 15:56 UTC
Low key talks with some Unasur members to lift sanctions on Paraguay

Paraguay is involved in low key negotiations with the region to find a way for the quick return of the country to Unasur and Mercosur, and Chile and Colombia are playing crucial roles in such discussions, according to media reports from Asuncion.
Friday, October 12th 2012 - 06:23 UTC
Uruguay signs offshore contracts with oil companies: BP, BG, Total and Tullow

The Uruguayan government has signed offshore exploration and production deals with British oil firms BG Group, BP plc, Ireland’s Tullow Oil and France's Total. The companies awarded 30-year concession contracts in April for the eight oil blocks - three each for BG and BP and one each for Tullow and Total - have committed to investing a total of roughly 1.56 billion dollars.
Thursday, October 11th 2012 - 23:53 UTC
Unasur leaders to discuss peace, security and cooperation protocol in Peru

Unasur presidents will be meeting next 30 November in Lima to discuss the Protocol on Peace, Security and Cooperation in the framework of a greater debate referred to democracy and integration, and democracy and social inclusion, announced the Peruvian Foreign Minister Rafael Roncaglio.
Thursday, October 11th 2012 - 05:58 UTC
The Americas Defence ministers’ conference divided on Falklands/Malvinas issue

Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands continues to generate discrepancies among countries of the Americas, as was exposed in the Declaration of Punta del Este, at the end of the X Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas which took place in Uruguay.
Thursday, October 11th 2012 - 04:59 UTC
The three challenges faced by Latinamerica democracies, according to OAS

Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, said on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the Third Latin American Democracy Forum in Mexico City, that “at present the democracies of Latin America and the Caribbean face three major risks to their integrity: inequality, organized crime, and the lack of dialogue between political actors”.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 18:41 UTC
South America solid behind Argentina’s Falklands’ claim at UN decolonization meeting

The opening session of the UN Fourth Committee on decolonisation was dominated by a joint verbal assault on Britain by South American countries over the issue of the Falkland Islands. One after another, representatives of governments in the region called on the UK to enter into dialogue with Argentina over the sovereignty of the Islands, which are claimed by the government in Buenos Aires.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 09:07 UTC
IMF estimates Argentina 2012 growth below government target but above private forecasts

Argentina will grow 2.6% in 2012 according to the IMF latest World Economic Outlook, which is below the 3.4% estimated by President Cristina Fernandez administration for this year’s budget.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 08:57 UTC
Brazil ratifies full support to President Santos and the Colombian peace process

Brazil extended full support ‘in whatever is necessary’ to Colombia’s peace process which is scheduled to begin next 17 October in Norway and will continue in Cuba, announced the Executive Planalto Palace.
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 - 08:30 UTC
Ecuador’s Correa preparing the ground for his re-election bid in 2013

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said his family would support him if he were to run for re-election in 2013 and that his candidacy now rested on the “high chances” that he would be nominated as the ruling party's candidate.