Latin America

• Monday, August 6th 2012 - 07:40 UTC

  Chile’s discredited Piñera revamps tax reform bill ahead of municipal elections

  

  Chile's government re-drafted a sweeping tax reform bill aimed at helping fund an education overhaul, removing criticized benefits for higher earners as it seeks to help its passage through Congress ahead of key local elections.

• Monday, August 6th 2012 - 07:34 UTC

  Sean Penn joins Venezuela’s Chavez presidential electoral campaign wagon

  

  Actor Sean Penn joined President Hugo Chavez at an election rally in Venezuela on Sunday, bringing a dash of Hollywood to the campaign as he rode with him atop a truck past cheering supporters.

• Monday, August 6th 2012 - 07:21 UTC

  Slowdown in Latin America further exposed vulnerabilities of Spain and Portugal

  

  The slowdown in Latin America’s once booming economies could take a heavy toll on profits for Spanish and Portuguese companies whose two-decade investment spree abroad has provided a lifeline during a deepening crisis at home.

• Saturday, August 4th 2012 - 22:29 UTC

  Chile expects a 30% increase in cruise vessel calls this 2012/13 season

  

  Chile is expecting an increase of 30% in the number of cruise vessels calls this coming season with Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas receiving the most, said the country’s Under Secretary for Tourism Jacqueline Plass.

• Saturday, August 4th 2012 - 03:14 UTC

  Venezuela accession to Mercosur “by the back door”, according to The Economist

  

  Under the heading of “In by the back door” referred to the expansion of Mercosur, The Economist says “bringing Venezuela certainly was smart, in the sense of cunning rather than wise”, but it was done ignoring the block’s rules which call for unanimity in admitting new members.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 22:34 UTC

  Brazilians trust in future of their country, their jobs and President Rousseff

  

  President Dilma Rousseff continues to enjoy high popularity as Brazilian consumers sound very optimistic about the future of their country and trust they can hold on to their jobs despite the recent economic slowdown.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 22:11 UTC

  Uruguay’s July inflation record low on government successful electricity saving campaign

  

  Uruguay’s annual consumer-price inflation dropped in July to 0.27% the lowest in 58 years, accumulating 7.48% in the last twelve months (down from 8% in June), and 4.41% in the first seven months of 2012.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 08:36 UTC

  CFK defends Argentina’s economic model and capacity to honour debts

  

  While addressing the nation from the Buenos Aires stock exchange floor, Argentine President Cristina Fernández strongly defended the policy of drastically cutting debts, which guarantees “greater independence”, and of stimulating the economy because only with resources can debts be paid, “the dead don’t pay debts”.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 08:20 UTC

  Chavez claims Paraguayan senators tried to blackmail him to vote for Venezuela in Mercosur

  

  President Hugo Chavez said that the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur was “exemplary” because it never yielded to “blackmail” from the Paraguayan extreme right and revealed that he met with Paraguayan Senator Lino Oviedo, considered the mastermind behind those attempts.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:52 UTC

  Peruvian police seize 2.3m counterfeit US dollar notes; so far this year 17m

  

  Police in Peru have seized 2.3m dollars in counterfeit notes. Prosecution said the notorious Quispe Rodriguez family clan is behind the production of fake currency. Peruvian police chief, Raul Salazar, said the gang was planning to smuggle the counterfeit 50 dollar bills into the United States, hidden inside Peruvian souvenirs.