Politics

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 09:31 UTC

  Uruguay prepared to lead Mercosur/EU trade negotiations during the whole year

  

  Uruguay, now with the support from Argentina, is very much interested in advancing with the cooperation and trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, and is planning for president Tabare Vazquez to attend a Brussels meeting with EU officials to emphasize the matter.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 09:24 UTC

  Venezuela pays debt to bankers but bakeries have no bread, because of scarce flour

  

  Venezuela has paid $1.54 billion in principal and interest owed to international bondholders, the Banking and Finance Ministry said Saturday. President Nicolas Maduro's administration “once again manifests its willingness and capacity to honor its financial commitments in a timely manner, demonstrating its solvency in international markets,” the ministry said of Friday's payment.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 09:16 UTC

  Esso to intensify oil exploration in Guyana's Maritime Zone

  

  Oil exploration efforts have intensified following the discovery of commercial quantities of oil in Guyana’s Maritime Zone. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL) has commenced a meteorological and oceanographic survey in the Stabroek Block, scheduled to be completed during May 2018.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 09:09 UTC

  Ex-Bank of England boss calls for urgent reform of monetary and banking system

  

  The former Bank of England boss has warned in a new book that another financial crisis is “certain”, and may come “sooner rather than later”. Mervyn King, who stood down in 2013, says reform of monetary and banking systems may help prevent the crisis.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 09:03 UTC

  G20: Beijing tailors generic final declaration with no specific mention to China's problems

  

  China pulled off a defensive win at the Shanghai Group of 20 (G20) meeting of global finance leaders after months of angst abroad over its economic and policy direction. For starters, there was no specific concern over China in the communiqué released late Saturday.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 07:28 UTC

  Praise for Argentina's economic reforms from US, China and Europe at G20

  

  Argentina received support for its economic reforms from the United States, China and Europe during the Finance ministers meeting held in Shanghai over the weekend in anticipation of the G20 heads of state and government summit next June, according to a release from the Argentine Finance ministry.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 07:18 UTC

  Francis wanted to understand how Macri was going to address eliminating poverty

  

  It was a 'good, enriching' meeting, a private conversation between the Holy Father and the president “which covered all the areas we expected to cover”, was how the Argentine foreign minister described Saturday's 22 minutes meeting between Francis and visiting President Mauricio Macri.

• Monday, February 29th 2016 - 06:58 UTC

  “Cordial” (frosty) 22 minutes meeting between Francis and president Macri

  

  The long-awaited meeting between Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Pope Francis ended up being a frosty encounter that lasted a mere 22 minutes. The Vatican officially described the sit-down as “cordial,” and Macri told reporters that the pontiff asked him to fight corruption, poverty and drug-trafficking in the country.

• Saturday, February 27th 2016 - 04:27 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez to court to explain her government's handling of the futures dollar market

  

  An Argentine court on Friday ordered former President Cristina Fernandez to face questions about her government's handling of the futures dollar market, marking the first time she has been legally summoned for any of the handful of investigations against her.

• Saturday, February 27th 2016 - 03:47 UTC

  Uruguay reaffirms Argentina's Malvinas claim and its commitment to Falkland Islanders 'interests'

  

  Uruguay's foreign ministry expressed on Friday its “most firm support” for the 'legitimate rights' of Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Malvinas Islands, other insular territories in the South Atlantic and surrounding maritime spaces, currently administered by the United Kingdom.