Politics

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 00:44 UTC

  Chile’s Peaceable Kingdom Image Challenged

  

  by COHA Research Associates Joss Douglas and Samantha Nadler
  On the tiny, legendary Pacific speck of land known as Easter Island, located 2,000 miles from the Chilean coastline, the ongoing non-violent protests being staged by the Hito family at the Hotel Hanga Roa came to a climax on Sunday February 6, 2011. Fifty armed members of the Chilean national police force (los Carabineros) mounted an illegal raid on the hotel and forcefully evicted the family that has occupied the grounds since August 2010. This action was in direct violation of a judicial order against their dislodgement

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 23:09 UTC

  Bolivia’s powerful unions turn on President Morales to protest food prices

  

  Bolivia’s powerful Workers Union, COB, called for a 24 hours general strike Friday against the government of President Evo Morales to protest food and public transport price hikes.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:51 UTC

  First major legislative victory for Rousseff: keeps minimum wage on target

  

  Brazil's Lower House approved Wednesday a government proposal to limit a minimum wage increase to 545 Real a month, handing President Dilma Rousseff her first major legislative victory.The proposal will be voted on in the Senate next week, where it is expected to be approved.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:46 UTC

  First woman cop-chief for Rio do Janeiro 12.000 strong police force

  

  A woman has been named to head Brazil’s Rio do Janeiro police department for the first time following a corruption scandal that led to the arrest of more than 30 police and military officials, officials said Wednesday.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 03:25 UTC

  Brazil as concerned with the US dollar as with China’s Yuan

  

  Brazil is as concerned about the decline of the U.S. dollar as it is about the Chinese currency and has no plans for a joint initiative with Washington to press China to let its currency appreciate faster, said Finance Minister Guido Mantega

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 02:45 UTC

  Seized cargo incident: US government “has no reason to apologize” to Argentina

  

  US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley assured that the US government “has no reason to apologize” to Argentina in the case of the “sensitive materials” that were seized in a US Air Force plane by the local government last week, amid accusations of “attempting to smuggle surveillance and communications equipment.”

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 01:58 UTC

  Brazil injects 27 billion USD to subsidized-loans development bank

  

  Brazilian state-run development bank BNDES will receive at least 45 billion Real or 27 billion US dollars from the government to extend its program of low-cost loans for supporting company investments in capital goods, local media reported this week.

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 01:18 UTC

  Argentina’s boost-industry import restrictions estimated in one billion US dollars

  

  Imports restrictions imposed this week by the Argentine government with the purpose of “preserving the re-industrialization process” cover approximately 200 products totalling annual imports of a billion US dollars, according to preliminary reports.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 22:53 UTC

  Mantega reiterates opposition to French plan for commodity prices regulation

  

  Brazil reiterated opposition to a French plan to impose regulation on commodity prices, saying it could have “negative effects” on major suppliers such as itself. “Brazil is totally opposed to a mechanism of control or regulation of commodity prices,” Finance Minister Guido Mantega told reporters, reiterating a position he gave last week.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 22:39 UTC

  Uruguay’s debt rated “positive” and edging on investment grade, says DBRS

  

  Canadian credit rating agency DBRS maintained Uruguay’s debt at BB (two steps below investment grade) but elevated prospect from stable to positive. The latest release from DBRS means Uruguay in the next 6 to 12 months could advance to one step below investment grade if “current fiscal discipline is sustained and levels of debt continue the descending trend”.