Latin America

• Saturday, December 8th 2012 - 03:47 UTC

  Bolivian industry warns about the Mercosur ‘straight jacket’ and protectionism

  

  The incorporation of Bolivia to Mercosur must not become a “straight jacket” that leaves the country with no margin to negotiate trade agreements with other regions, said the private business organization, Bolivia Foreign Trade Institution, IBCE

• Friday, December 7th 2012 - 17:04 UTC

  Chavez back in Venezuela after ten days in Cuba: “where’s the party”

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned from Cuba on Friday following cancer-related medical treatment, walking and joking at the airport in a first public appearance in three weeks that quashed rumours he might have been at death's door.

• Thursday, December 6th 2012 - 07:57 UTC

  Brazil anticipates Mercosur summit will confirm Paraguay’s suspension stands

  

  Paraguay must continue suspended from Mercosur following the group’s presidential summit on Friday, anticipated the head of the Latin American desk from the Brazilian Foreign ministry, Antonio Jose Ferreira Simoes.

• Thursday, December 6th 2012 - 07:49 UTC

  Latam needs structural reforms and equality to consolidate as economic power

  

  Economics and finance experts said Latin American must address structural reforms as part of the essential process to consolidate as an economic power and look after the Asian market.

• Thursday, December 6th 2012 - 07:45 UTC

  Brazil says President Chavez attendance to Mercosur summit is “uncertain”

  

  The presence of President Hugo Chavez at Friday’s Mercosur summit is “uncertain” reported the official Brazilian news agency on Wednesday adding that the organizers are waiting for a confirmation of his trip to Brasilia.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2012 - 19:27 UTC

  Brazil confident for 2014 Cup but recalls the “national tragedy” of 1950 when defeated by Uruguay

  

  Brazil must not repeat the “national tragedy” of losing the 2014 World Cup as it did when it hosted the event in 1950, the country’s Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo said. “We cannot repeat the national tragedy of 1950 when we lost to Uruguay” Rebelo told foreign journalists visiting Brazil as part of the build up to the finals. “It was like losing to your younger brother.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2012 - 19:15 UTC

  Inflation in Uruguay remains out of target despite government efforts

  

  Uruguay’s inflation in November was over 9% in the last twelve months despite government efforts to contain it by agreeing a price freeze with leading supermarkets and having public utilities’ rates unchanged.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2012 - 19:02 UTC

  Paraguay furious with Brazil for confirming Unasur suspension until August 2013

  

  Paraguay declared “entirely unacceptable” statements from Brazilian Foreign minister Antonio Patriota who said that the April 2013 elections are “only an important step to re-examine” the country’s suspension from Unasur and Mercosur. Patriota’s statement was supported by Argentina.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2012 - 18:50 UTC

  OAS and Peru will discuss how to address socio-environment conflict in mining areas

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS) will hold, on December 6 and 7 in Lima, Peru, the Meeting of Government Experts on the Management of Socio-Environmental Conflict for the countries of Central America and the Andean Region.

• Wednesday, December 5th 2012 - 18:32 UTC

  WHO sponsored research helps identify heavy lead contaminated areas in Peru

  

  Countries – especially those with a long mining history -- can substantially reduce lead poisoning in children by mapping contamination levels in the soil to identify high-risk areas and by taking measures to keep children away from those areas, according to a study published this month in the public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.