Mercosur

• Sunday, January 20th 2013 - 21:22 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez re-election back on the political agenda ahead of the mid term October election

  

  The possibility of a re-re-election of Argentine president Cristina Fernandez is back in the political agenda, this time spurred by a member of the Lower House with close contacts with trade unions and father of the General Manager of the now re-nationalized Argentine flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas

• Saturday, January 19th 2013 - 04:30 UTC

  Tourists arriving in Uruguay dropped 14% in first weeks compared to 2012

  

  The number of tourists arriving to Uruguay in the first weeks of this summer season has dropped 14% compared to the same period a year ago, which represents 20.600 less, mostly Argentines and Brazilians, according to Benjamin Liberoff, Director of Tourism.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 23:58 UTC

  Environmentalists praise conservation aspects of new Chilean Fisheries law

  

  Chile has established a set of new fisheries laws protecting underwater sea mountains, limiting by-catch and setting science based quotas, protecting 150.000 square kilometers of marine habitat.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 23:47 UTC

  Controversy in Chile over salmon industry costs, regulations and standards

  

  The recent statements by the CEO of Marine Harvest in Chile generated a rapid reaction of the Minister of Economy, who justified the measures taken to prevent the catastrophic recurrence of a crisis such as the spread of infectious salmon anaemia (ISA).

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 23:39 UTC

  First journalist killed in the western hemisphere in 2013 is from Brazil

  

  Renato Machado Gonçalves, the manager and joint owner of Radio Barra FM in Rio de Janeiro state, has become the first journalist to be killed in the western hemisphere in 2013. He was gunned down as he left his home in the north of the state last week.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 14:33 UTC

  Falklands’ referendum, a “democratic and incontestable” answer to Argentina’s ambitions

  

  The Falkland Islands elected government has confirmed the dates and final wording of the referendum on the political status of the Islands, based on their right to self determination and to counter Argentina’s repeated calls for negotiations over sovereignty.

• Friday, January 18th 2013 - 14:29 UTC

  Falklands does not discard a referendum on ‘full independence in the future’

  

  If at the coming referendum, the Falkland Islands wish to remain a UK Overseas Territory, retaining the current status and preserving the right to self-determination, which would allow the Falkland Islands to review its status at any time, “this could include full independence in the future”, points out the booklet “On the future of the Falkland Islands”.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 23:45 UTC

  European Parliament calls for speeding EU/Mercosur trade negotiations

  

  The European Parliament regretted that negotiations for an association agreement between the European Union and Mercosur remain stalled or have hardly advanced since they officially resumed two years ago.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 22:02 UTC

  Uruguay’s growth estimates for this year, 3.86%, according to private estimates

  

  Private analysts lowered their forecasts for Uruguay’s GDP growth this year from an average of 4% in December to 3.86%, according to the latest monthly survey on economic expectations released by the Central Bank. Expectations for January ranged between 3.2% and 4%.

• Thursday, January 17th 2013 - 20:27 UTC

  IMF ‘definitive’ assessment of Argentine inflation and GDP stats in February

  

  IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde confirmed to the Argentine media that next February first the fund will be assessing her critical report on Argentine statistics, which could lead to sanctions for the country.