Mercosur

• Monday, February 11th 2013 - 00:56 UTC

  Brazil January inflation spike triggers concern for the government and investors

  

  Brazilian inflation in January climbed to 0.86%, the highest for the month in the last ten years, according to the country’s stats office, IBGE. Inflation in December was 0.79%, ending the twelve months of last year at 5.82% which was in the target range with a ceiling of 6.5%.

• Wednesday, February 6th 2013 - 21:53 UTC

  Uruguay promotes a free trade agreement of Mercosur with Canada

  

  Foreign minister Luis Almagro announced that Uruguay will work for a free trade agreement between Mercosur and Canada during the first half of the year when Uruguay holds the chair of the South American group that also includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela.

• Thursday, January 31st 2013 - 20:50 UTC

  Timerman rejects meeting Falklands representatives; only interested in ‘bilateral round’ with Hague

  

  Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman turned down an invitation by his British counterpart William Hague to take part in a meeting in London with representatives of the Falklands/Malvinas Islands government, assuring that “the international community does not accept the involvement of a third party” in the sovereignty issue.

• Thursday, January 31st 2013 - 14:06 UTC

  Two Falklands’ lawmakers fly to London to meet with Argentine Foreign minister

  

  Two elected members of the Falkland Islands’ Legislative Assembly will be travelling to London this weekend to be available to take part in any discussions regarding the Islands when Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman meets with Foreign Secretary William Hague, according to a release from Gilbert House, Stanley.

• Thursday, January 31st 2013 - 07:14 UTC

  Except for Uruguay, Mercosur ranks poorly in the World Press Freedom Index

  

  Argentina dropped seven positions and now ranks 54 in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index of 179 countries elaborated by Reporters Without Frontiers. Uruguay is the best ranked in South America, position 27, while other Mercosur full members standing are not very encouraging: Paraguay, 91; Brazil, 108 and Venezuela, 117.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2013 - 15:18 UTC

  Timerman taking the Falklands’ dispute to London in an event with EU figures

  

  Foreign minister Hector Timerman will be taking the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty claim to London where next week he is scheduled to meet outstanding figures from 18 European countries that have been calling for a resumption of negotiations, according to a release from the Argentine embassy in UK.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2013 - 06:39 UTC

  Brazil committed to CELAC and to all regional and subregional integration groups

  

  Brazil said Latinamerica and Caribbean cohesion does not only mean strengthening CELAC (Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States) but also advancing in the other integration processes of the region.

• Monday, January 28th 2013 - 17:59 UTC

  Argentine Jewish community blast agreement on ‘truth commission” with Iran

  

  Argentine Jewish community organizations, DAIA and AMIA strongly rejected on Monday the government of President Cristina Fernandez decision to sign an agreement with Iran for the naming of a special ‘truth’ commission referred to the 1994 attack to a Jewish organization in Buenos Aires which left 85 dead and hundreds injured.

• Monday, January 28th 2013 - 06:27 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez delaying Mercosur/EU discussions for a free trade agreement

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez downplayed immediate discussions for the trade and cooperation agreement between EU and Mercosur arguing that the South American block should elaborate and discuss new proposals to be presented to the Europe Union on the last quarter of this year.

• Monday, January 28th 2013 - 06:08 UTC

  Cuba takes CELAC chair on Monday; expectations regarding Havana’s proposals

  

  The first summit of the Community of Latinamerican and Caribbean States, CELAC, the brain child of president Hugo Chavez, paid tribute to the Venezuelan leader who is recovering from cancer surgery in Havana, Cuba, the country that on Monday will be receiving the group’s chair from Chile.