Politics

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 12:57 UTC

  Argentine farmers on alert: government does not rule out more taxes on food exports

  

  Despite a recent accord with the government regarding corn exports, Argentine farmers are again on alert following statements from officials who did not rule out the possibility of increasing taxes on food exports as part of its effort to control high inflation.

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 12:39 UTC

  Argentine oil and gas activity picking up in Vaca Muerta shale deposits

  

  Fracking activity in Vaca Muerta, Argentina shot up in January to its highest level in 17 months, according to the Argentine unit of Houston-based services company NCS Multistage.

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 12:25 UTC

  Ecuador Sunday election, a return to heterodox populist economic policies?

  

  Uncertain times ahead for Ecuador, if after four years of orthodox economic policies to try and balance government accounts and restructure foreign debt are followed by promises of heterodox economics and populist handouts.

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 12:16 UTC

  All ready for Sunday elections in Ecuador: 13 million eligible to vote on Sunday

  

  Ecuador is ready to go to the polls on Sunday to elect a successor to President Lenin Moreno and legislative members of the National Assembly (Congress) amid the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced on Thursday.

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 09:55 UTC

  Fernandez and Bolsonaro expected to share a family photo on the 30th anniversary of Mercosur

  

  Argentine ambassador in Brazil, Daniel Scioli, has confirmed what was advanced by Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou during this week's meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro, a meeting of Mercosur heads of state, sometime at the end of March. The summit will coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the trade block, which also includes Argentina and Paraguay.

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 08:50 UTC

  UK in Covid-19 rare success: it has vaccinated 15% of the population (10 million)

  

  The UK reached the milestone of vaccinating 10 million people, about 15% of the population, according to the latest official reports. “We are on a downward slope of cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said at a televised press conference. “This peak, at least, we are past.”

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 08:42 UTC

  Uruguay, one the very few “full democracies” in the world, The Economist

  

  Uruguay leads as one of four full democracies in the Americas, according to the Democracy Index 2020, published by The Economist. Uruguay scored 8,61 points out of a possible 10 and ranked fifteenth at world level, while the other “full” democracies in the region are Costa Rica, 8,16; Chile, 8,28 and Canada with 9,24 points.

• Friday, February 5th 2021 - 08:21 UTC

  Bank of England tells banks to prepare for negative interest rates

  

  The Bank of England (BOE) told banks to start getting ready for negative interest rates but added that the message shouldn’t be taken as a signal that the policy is imminent. The BOE made the announcement as it held its key rate at a record low of 0.1%.

• Thursday, February 4th 2021 - 23:23 UTC

  Northern Ireland Protocol controversy forces new round of UK/EU talks

  

  The government and the EU have vowed to “work intensively” to quell tensions over post-Brexit checks at Northern Ireland ports. In a joint statement, both sides said talks on Wednesday with Northern Ireland leaders were “constructive”.

• Thursday, February 4th 2021 - 23:06 UTC

  Russia has offered Argentina fighter aircraft and training jets, defense website reports

  

  Russia has again approached the Argentine government to offer defense equipment, including military planes for the air force.