Latin America

• Monday, February 18th 2013 - 06:55 UTC

  Correa wins re-election by a landslide turning him into indisputable regional leader

  

  President Rafael Correa swept to a re-election victory on Sunday promising to strengthen state control over Ecuador’s economy and continue using booming oil revenues to build roads, hospitals and schools in rural areas and shanty towns.

• Monday, February 18th 2013 - 06:26 UTC

  New strain of dengue further exposes Paraguay’s population to the spreading disease

  

  Paraguay health officials have detected a new strain of the tropical mosquito-transmitted disease dengue identified as serotype 4, the first case reported since last year which expands significantly the population’s exposure. Likewise the latest official report indicates 26 confirmed dengue deaths and over 13.000 infected.

• Monday, February 18th 2013 - 06:23 UTC

  Cuba’s best-known dissident with ‘knees trembling’ makes it through Havana airport without incident

  

  Cuba's best-known dissident, blogger Yoani Sánchez checked in without incident at Havana's international airport on Sunday on her way to Brazil, the first stop on an 80-day-tour of a dozen countries. She was sent off with hugs by a small group of family members and friends.

• Monday, February 18th 2013 - 06:18 UTC

  Mantega anticipates higher interest rate to help keep inflation under control

  

  Brazil’s Finance minister Guido Mantega in Moscow for the G-20 meeting, said that inflation above the government's target raises a yellow flag and that monetary policy, not the exchange rate, is the right tool to control prices.

• Saturday, February 16th 2013 - 21:24 UTC

  Human right activists in Uruguay storm the Supreme Court to protest judge’s transfer

  

  The Uruguayan police evicted dozens of protestors that during three hours occupied the seat of the Supreme Court to impede the transfer of a magistrate, closely linked to human rights cases, from the criminal to the civil forum. Magistrate Mariana Mota has dealt with some of Uruguay’s most notorious human rights cases dating back to the twelve years of military dictatorship, (1973/1985).

• Saturday, February 16th 2013 - 20:50 UTC

  Brazilian business community demands the country signs trade accords with third countries

  

  Brazilian businesspeople and diplomats expressed their disappointment with Mercosur and said it was crucial for Brazil to sign free trade agreements on its own with third countries, which under current rules of the South American trade block are not allowed.

• Friday, February 15th 2013 - 23:13 UTC

  Financial Times: Argentina-Uruguay: too close for comfort?

  

  By Jude Webber - On Thursday 14 February the prestigious Financial Times published a piece pointing out the influence of Argentina on Uruguay and its economy. The article is simple and straight and is valid because of the Financial Times unquestionable opinion building capacity, and thus merits reproduction.

• Friday, February 15th 2013 - 22:56 UTC

  Venezuelan government releases pictures of Chavez next to his daughters

  

  Venezuelans got the first glimpse in more than two months of their ailing president Friday in a series of photos the government released in a televised announcement. In the photos, Hugo Chavez is lying on a blue pillow, flanked by his two daughters, while he reads the Cuban official newspaper Granma. He is smiling, and his face looks a little swollen.

• Friday, February 15th 2013 - 05:51 UTC

  Clear victory for Correa will have him in frontline to succeed Chavez

  

  Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, one of Latin America's most outspoken leaders is almost certain to win re-election on Sunday by an ample margin catapulting him as the most probable successor of Venezuela’s ailing Hugo Chavez and the populist movement in Latinamerica.

• Thursday, February 14th 2013 - 23:29 UTC

  IMF praises Venezuelan devaluation, but LechugaVerde/Bolivar gap close to 300%

  

  The International Monetary Fund, IMF, praised Venezuela for the recent devaluation of its currency saying it is a positive attempt to reduce macroeconomic misbalances but also called on the government of President Hugo Chavez to continue eliminating the exchange rate distortions.