Latin America

• Thursday, March 8th 2012 - 09:42 UTC

  Brazil has become the sixth-largest economy in the world overtaking the UK

  

  Brazil has become the sixth-biggest economy in the world, the country's finance minister announced. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and other economic forecasters also said that Brazil had now overtaken the UK.

• Thursday, March 8th 2012 - 06:21 UTC

  Chavez will return home from Cuba next week, says Colombian president

  

  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Venezuela's Hugo Chávez will return home next week from Cuba where he is recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous tumour.

• Thursday, March 8th 2012 - 06:10 UTC

  Mexico’s tycoon Slim world’s richest man for a third consecutive year

  

  Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, who on Wednesday topped the Forbes rich list for a third consecutive year with a fortune of 69 billion dollars, invests widely as he seeks to expand his massive telecoms empire.

• Wednesday, March 7th 2012 - 02:59 UTC

  US Southern command watchful of political turbulence in Latam

  

  United States Air Force Commander, General Douglas Fraser, in charge of the US Southern Command, stated before Congress that the Department of Defence is “watchful for potential geopolitical turbulence that could impact US citizens,” and highlighted the uncertainties of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez health and economic instability.

• Tuesday, March 6th 2012 - 20:54 UTC

  Threat of overheating and asset bubbles in Latam because of large capital inflows

  

  Large capital inflows to Latin America have resumed in recent months, which may result in a threat of overheating and asset price bubbles if they continue, according to a Capital Economics report.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 06:04 UTC

  Change in Argentine policy is “an attempt to collect support and look less mean”

  

  The apparent change in Argentine policy towards the Falkland Islands by offering three direct flights to the Islands from Buenos Aires instead of cutting the air link with Chile, as had been anticipated, was described by Chilean diplomatic sources as “an attempt to collect international support and look less mean”.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 05:50 UTC

  Uruguayan economy forecasted to expand 4% to 4.5%; inflation main challenge

  

  Uruguay's economy is poised to expand 4% to 4.5% this year, a moderate slowdown from the growth of just over 6% seen in 2011, the president of the central bank Mario Bergara told reporters during an IMF conference held in Punta del Este.

• Monday, March 5th 2012 - 05:32 UTC

  Chavez proclaims “I will overcome”, admits radiation treatment for cancer

  

  President Hugo Chavez said he will need radiation treatment for cancer in the run-up to Venezuela's October presidential poll though he insisted there was no metastasis after the removal of another tumour.

• Wednesday, February 29th 2012 - 07:42 UTC

  Unasur presidents invited to Tierra del Fuego on 2 April, anniversary of the Malvinas war

  

  The Union of South American Nations, Unasur presidents have been invited by Argentina to a ceremony in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, next 2 April when the official beginning of the Malvinas war three decades ago.

• Wednesday, February 29th 2012 - 07:38 UTC

  Official report: Chavez in good physical condition; pelvic lesion completely extracted

  

  Surgeons “completely” removed a lesion from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's pelvis and the populist leader is in good physical condition after the operation in Cuba, Venezuela's vice president said on Tuesday.