
Uruguay is likely to be the next Latin American country to win an investment grade rating from Moody's Investors Service, with a review likely late this year, a senior officer from the ratings agency said on Sunday.

Uruguay’s Economy minister Fernando Lorenzo called on other members of Unasur, Union of South American Nations, to ensure free trade in the region as a safeguard and guarantee for the sustained growth of country-members in time.

The Paraguayan government called for “reflection and dialogue” from the Argentine government in order to find a solution to the commercial restrictions in place on imported products, “we don’t need any more walls”.

Former Argentine Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernández assured on Sunday today that “the Government has difficulties understanding what is going on, and gives fallacious speeches that are far from reality,” and blasted the cutback of subsidies on public services and the bill that seeks to reform the Central Bank's charter

A Brazilian court barred 17 executives from Chevron and Transocean from leaving Brazil, pending criminal charges related to a high-profile oil spill last November. A second oil spill detected last week further complicated the situation.

Foreign ministers from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) reaffirmed their support for Argentina over the Malvinas Islands sovereignty dispute at the annual meeting held in Asunción, Paraguay.

Argentine Planning Minister Julio de Vido lashed out at Spanish Industry Minister José Manuel Soria by saying that oil company YPF is an Argentine corporation run by Spanish investors and should not be considered an asset of the European country.

The European Union and Mercosur concluded Friday in Brussels the eighth round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with the commitment to begin exchanging market access proposals at the next meeting.

United States stated that it maintains its “neutral position” over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands dispute between Argentina and UKand hopes for an agreed solution, an official source of the US government assured after the three day visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron which included several meetings at the White House

Argentina and Israel gathered on Friday to honour the 29 victims of the 1992 terrorist car bombing at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, the first of two deadly attacks against Jewish interests in Argentina. The second in July 1994 against the Jewish community organization AMIA claimed 85 lives.