Mercosur

• Friday, March 25th 2016 - 05:26 UTC

  Unemployment in Brazil reaches 9.5%, the highest level since 2012

  

  Unemployment in Latin America's largest country is at its highest level since 2012, the Brazilian government said on Thursday. Brazil's IBGE statistics bureau said that the jobless rate in the three months through January was 9.5%, compared to the 6.8% in the same period one year ago.

• Friday, March 25th 2016 - 05:20 UTC

  US government supports Argentine appeal to lift injunctions in its debt dispute

  

  In another display of support for the Argentine administration of president Mauricio Macri, the government of the United States affirmed it has “significant foreign policy interests” in finding a “rapid” resolution to the long-standing dispute between Argentina and bondholders.

• Thursday, March 24th 2016 - 19:34 UTC

  Obama pays homage to victims of Argentine dictatorship and admits “US was slow to speak out for human rights”

  

  President Barack Obama paid homage on Thursday to victims of Argentina's former US-backed dictatorship, admitting the United States was “slow to speak out for human rights” in those dark days. Obama became the first US president to formally acknowledge the victims of the 1976-1983 military regime, which declassified documents have revealed was supported by top US officials.

• Thursday, March 24th 2016 - 02:03 UTC

  Brazilian Supreme Court emerges with a decisive role in the institutional crisis

  

  The Brazilian government's efforts to have former president Lula da Silva into the cabinet of president Dilma Rousseff will have to wait until next 30 March when the Supreme Court is scheduled to hold its next full meeting. The political upheaval and simultaneous legal back-and forth has reached such a pitch that it inspired a bleakly funny website, lulaeministro.com, or “Is Lula a minister?” The site shows only the former president’s face and the words, “At this moment, No.” (Or yes, depending).

• Thursday, March 24th 2016 - 01:16 UTC

  Time bomb in Brazil: list of 200 names of politicians from 18 parties who received illegal funds for elections

  

  Odebrecht, the engineering firm at the heart of Brazil's biggest ever graft probe, on Tuesday agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, in a move likely to send shockwaves across political parties that for years illegally siphoned money from state contracts. Federal police found an office to pay bribes and it surfaced that since February it has a list of 200 politicians who benefited from siphoned funds for election campaigns.

• Thursday, March 24th 2016 - 01:10 UTC

  Brazil's chief of staff warns about the “dangerous precedent” of ousting an unpopular government

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's chief of staff on Wednesday said ousting her would set a “dangerous” precedent for unpopular governments to be toppled in the future. On Tuesday Rousseff said that ongoing impeachment proceedings against her in Congress constituted a “plot” against Brazil's institutions and the nation's stability.

• Wednesday, March 23rd 2016 - 21:26 UTC

  Macri anticipates “mature, constructive relations with the US” and pledges to strengthen Mercosur

  

  Argentine president Mauricio Macri at the beginning of the press conference Wednesday midday in Casa Rosada (Government House), highlighted the visit of Barack Obama's to Argentina and said “a stage of mature, intelligent and constructive relations is beginning.”

• Wednesday, March 23rd 2016 - 05:19 UTC

  Obama and Macri are scheduled to hold a first meeting late morning in Casa Rosada

  

  President Barack Obama kicks off on Wednesday the first visit of a US president to Argentina in twenty years, and although no great announcements are expected it will be a great boost to Mauricio Macri's three month administration, his bold economic reforms and effective efforts to reinsert Argentina in the world.

• Wednesday, March 23rd 2016 - 04:07 UTC

  Falklands/Malvinas not included in Obama/Macri agenda, says Malcorra

  

  Argentine president Mauricio Macri will not bring up the issue of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands during his meetings with visiting president Barack Obama, much less request his mediation in the dispute, according to foreign minister Susana Malcorra.

• Tuesday, March 22nd 2016 - 15:38 UTC

  Argentine runner wins Falklands' Standard Chartered marathon in record time

  

  An Argentine long distance runner has won the Falkland Islands “Standard Chartered Stanley Marathon” which is officially the World's Most Southerly AIMS-Certified Marathon. Rafael Lencina from the northern province of Tucuman completed on Sunday the 26 miles in 2 hours 35 minutes and 34 seconds, which is also a new record for the competition.