Mercosur

• Friday, December 30th 2011 - 06:36 UTC

  Uruguay suggests changing to the red ensign for Falklands’ vessels to operate in Montevideo

  

  No changes are needed in current legislation to bar vessels flying the Malvinas flag from entering Uruguayan ports, but Uruguay also speculates that if the vessels change to the English flag there will be no problems, according to a report from the Foreign Affairs ministry.

• Thursday, December 29th 2011 - 21:50 UTC

  Dilma in her first year is proving to be an Iron Lady loved by the middle class

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff will be celebrating on Sunday her first of four years in office with a record public opinion support of 72%, based on a sober and firm style in running what has become the world’s sixth largest economy.

• Thursday, December 29th 2011 - 21:24 UTC

  Falklands’ flagged vessels: “Another diplomatic victory for President Fernández”

  

  In its latest article on Argentina The Economist refers to the recent Mercosur decision to support President Cristina Fernandez in barring vessels flying the Falklands’ flag from docking in regional ports.
  The magazine as the heading says (Argentina and the Falklands: rocking the boat) describes it as another diplomatic victory for Cristina and also argues that both the Falkland Islands and Britain have failed to explain their case to the rest of South America.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:41 UTC

  Falklands have three options for a new deep water port

  

  The location of a new deep water port for the Falkland Islands been narrowed down to three potential sites: Mare Harbour, Navy Point (north of the Camber) and Stanley harbour (FIPASS) it was confirmed at the Executive Council meeting last week following a discussion of the issue.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:30 UTC

  UK ambassador in Chile “concerned” with “economic blockade” on the Falklands

  

  The British Ambassador to Chile, Jon Benjamin, expressed on Tuesday UK’s “concern” over “countries that have joined” the Mercosur bloc in their decision to support Argentina, by putting in place a ban on ships flying the Malvinas Islands’ flag from docking at their ports.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:28 UTC

  Chilean students end some school occupations but pledge to continue protests

  

  Students have voted to end occupations at two of the most symbolic institutes of Chile’s public education system, but have vowed to continue demonstrations after months of protests have failed to achieve significant reforms to the country highly privatized, class based education system.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 01:13 UTC

  Argentine president to undergo surgery for papillary thyroid cancer next week

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez has tested positive for papillary thyroid cancer and will undergo surgery next January 4. The Argentine leader will be taking a leave of absence until January 24th, announced on Tuesday the Executive spokesperson Alfredo Scoccimarro.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2011 - 13:57 UTC

  Argentine Media bill: “a dictatorship couldn’t have done it better”

  

  The conservative and influential Brazilian newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo in an editorial described the Argentine government as an “austral democradura” (authoritarian regime) which is sponsoring legislation “to terrorize the media”.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2011 - 13:54 UTC

  Rousseff reiterates pledge to eliminate extreme poverty in Brazil by 2014

  

  President Dilma Rousseff, about to complete her first year in office, reiterated she remains committed to eliminate extreme poverty in Brazil by the end of her term in 2013.

• Tuesday, December 27th 2011 - 13:53 UTC

  Argentine human rights reference openly criticizes the Anti-Terrorism law

  

  The president of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo organization, Estela de Carlotto, has joined Justice Raúl Zaffaroni and other sectors from the country in criticizing the recently passed Anti-terrorism Law.