Politics

• Saturday, February 6th 2021 - 08:47 UTC

  IMF chief Georgieva tells Argentina, “it takes two to tango”

  

  The chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday that the fund is working towards reaching an agreement on a new loan deal with Argentina and the next round of meetings will focus on the details. However, “'it takes two to tango' so both sides need to do our part and find the pathway to an agreement, and we are not yet at that point.”

• Saturday, February 6th 2021 - 08:38 UTC

  Latin America's second economy grew 12% in third quarter but still 8,6%, below year to year

  

  Mexico’s economy contracted 8.5% in 2020, the largest single-year drop since 1932 and the second consecutive year of economic contraction, worsened due to the Covid-19’s pandemic. Latin America's second economy, the gross domestic product grew 3.1% in the final three months of the year, according to preliminary data released on Friday by the National Statistics and Geography Institute.

• Saturday, February 6th 2021 - 07:34 UTC

  Falklands' “Restriction on Movement” declaration in full force until 18 February

  

  The Falkland Islands Government Executive Council, ExCo, has agreed to the making and publication of a Declaration to bring into force regulations 11 (restrictions on movement) and 12 (restrictions on movement – specified areas) in order to ‘prevent, protect against, delay or otherwise control the incidence or transmission of coronavirus in the Falkland Islands.’ The regulations form part of the Infectious Diseases Control (Coronavirus) (No 2) Regulations.

• 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.