Latin America

• Thursday, June 6th 2013 - 06:54 UTC

  IAATO focus on collaborative work at the 36th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

  

  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) reported to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XXXVI) last week and as in previous years, in addition to presenting statistics and estimates of numbers for next season, IAATO reported on the Association’s recent work and activities. This year, there was a heavy focus on the collaborative work that IAATO has undertaken with Treaty Parties and other Observers and Experts in a variety of fields.

• Thursday, June 6th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  OAS assembly adopts convention against racism and all forms of intolerance

  

  The General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), meeting in Guatemala adopted the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance and opened them for signature.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 19:21 UTC

  Uruguay former president calls on Latam to advance in agreements with the US

  

  “The time for rhetoric exercises has run out”, said Uruguayan former president Tabare Vazquez during a presentation before the Latin American Studies Association, LASA, in Washington where he emphasized the need for Latinamerican countries to advance in agreements with the United States.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 17:49 UTC

  Uruguay ‘can’t ignore (Mercosur) reality’ and is applying for full Pacific Alliance membership

  

  Vice-president and acting president Danilo Astori strongly defended the Uruguayan government’s intention of joining the Pacific Alliance, next to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, claiming that Mercosur has fallen into a state of ‘inactivity’ but also rejected point blank statements from Brazilian diplomacy contrary to such a move.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 08:37 UTC

  Obama and Piñera in the White House renew push for a trans-Pacific trade agreement

  

  US President Barack Obama and Chilean President Sebastian Piñera renewed their push for a trans-Pacific trade agreement at a meeting in the White House Oval Office on Tuesday that also touched on education and renewable energy.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 08:16 UTC

  Fearing lesser global liquidity, Brazil eliminates tax on foreign capital inflows

  

  Brazil will scrap a tax on foreign investments in local debt, a surprise move that could help stop a sharp depreciation of the country's currency which lost 7.6% in the past three months and that threatens to stoke already high inflation in Latin America's largest economy.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 07:56 UTC

  Falklands: Uruguay lawmaker calls for direct links with ‘kelpers’ and a change in government’s policy

  

  Lawmaker Jaime Trobo invited his peers in the Lower House to review the Uruguayan government’s position regarding the Malvinas Islands and without questioning Argentine sovereignty, establish close trade and human links with the Islanders, as in the past, eliminating the ‘sanitary ring’ imposed by the current Argentine government.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 07:35 UTC

  A new interaction emerging between US and the region, says panel of experts

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS) hosted its 51st Policy Roundtable on the theme “Power Shifts in Latin America: Current Trends” at the headquarters of the organization in Washington, DC. Most experts coincided in a new interaction between the US and the region despite ideology still plays a role, but overall the old elites are being eclipse.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 08:27 UTC

  Paraguayan inflation 0.2% in five months; economy poised to expand 13%

  

  Consumer prices in Paraguay dropped 0.3% during May which brings the accumulated five month inflation to 0.2%, reported the Central bank. The percentage is considerably lower than May a year ago when it reached 0.4% and had accumulated 3.2%. Twelve month inflation in May reached 0.9% which compares favourably with the 3.8% of a year ago

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 08:19 UTC

  Iran calls Argentine prosecutor ‘Zionist’ and denies infiltration in South America

  

  In a brief but extremely aggressive release the Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected point blank the report from Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman whom they described as “Zionist” and denied all allegations that Tehran has infiltrated nine South American countries to commit terrorist acts.