Latin America

• Monday, February 25th 2013 - 06:36 UTC

  Argentina celebrates Africa’s 54 countries support for Malvinas sovereignty

  

  Africa’s fifty four countries joined South America “in recognizing the legitimate sovereignty rights of Argentina over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the adjoining maritime spaces”, announced the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a communiqué in reference to the so called Declaration of Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea.

• Monday, February 25th 2013 - 06:27 UTC

  Santos denies any cease-fire: if peace talks don’t advance, “we get up from the table”

  

  Colombia's government will not hold back militarily or politically in its offensive against Marxist-oriented drugs-funded rebels, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Sunday, after FARC guerrillas said his hostile attitude was threatening peace negotiations.

• Monday, February 25th 2013 - 05:48 UTC

  Cuba re-elects Raul Castro and unveils his de facto political heir: Diaz-Canel

  

  Raul Castro was re-elected as Cuba's president Sunday, officially to his last five-year term, with a new regime number two, Council of State Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, official media said.

• Saturday, February 23rd 2013 - 06:34 UTC

  “Uruguayan government in deep crisis”, admits Mujica with a split cabinet and two economic teams

  

  “The Uruguayan government is in deep crisis” admitted President Jose Mujica following an open clash between ministers that called for an urgent meeting of the cabinet and half way had to be adjourned on fears that recriminations could get out of control. A recess was ordered but the squabbling through the press continued and the exposed deep rift remains more than a challenge.

• Saturday, February 23rd 2013 - 06:31 UTC

  OAS mission promotes political dialogue in Paraguay ahead of the April 21 general election

  

  The head of the Electoral Observation and Political Accompaniment Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Paraguay, the former President of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Óscar Arias begins this weekend a visit to Asuncion to promote dialogue between the different Paraguayan political and social actors, and to prepare the deployment of the Mission that will monitor the general elections of April 21.

• Friday, February 22nd 2013 - 05:11 UTC

  Colombia with enough oil for eight years at current rate of consumption

  

  Colombia only has enough oil to last another eight years and must urgently step up exploration efforts to locate more reserves, Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas said.

• Friday, February 22nd 2013 - 04:16 UTC

  Colombia signs free trade agreement with South Korea eliminating 96% of tariffs

  

  Colombia on Thursday signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea in Seoul. The FTA includes a wide range of elements to boost bilateral trade and investment, according to the trade ministry.

• Friday, February 22nd 2013 - 01:17 UTC

  Foreign companies don’t have to fear nationalization, if they invest, says Morales

  

  President Evo Morales said on Thursday that Repsol and the other multinational companies operating in Bolivia should not fear nationalization since his government only appeals to that extreme when corporations think in ‘looting’ instead of investing.

• Friday, February 22nd 2013 - 01:11 UTC

  Cuban dissident wants an end to US economic embargo and close down Guantanamo

  

  Famed Cuban dissident Yoani Sanchez defended before the Brazilian Congress the end of the US economic embargo and called for the closing down of the US Guantanamo military base.

• Thursday, February 21st 2013 - 05:27 UTC

  Mercosur begins technical meetings for new proposals on trade accord with EU

  

  Mercosur will retake next March technical discussions for a new proposal to be presented to the European Union for a trade and cooperation agreement, announced Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman next to his peer Antonio Patriota following bilateral talks on Wednesday in Rio do Janeiro.