Fundamedios, an Ecuadorian organization that defends freedom of expression, is now the one in need of defense, as it faces state-mandated closure. On Tuesday, September 8, its directors reported that they had received a letter from the National Communications Secretariat (Secom), which informed them of the beginning “of the dissolution process” against the institution.
A day after Standard & Poor’s slashed Brazil’s credit rating to junk, the Brazilian Real lost close to 2% by the end of the day to 3.865 per dollar—its weakest level since 2002. In an effort to stem the decline, Brazil’s central bank injected $1.5 billion into the financial system Thursday.
President Cristina Fernández called on Brazil’s former president Lula da Silva to become Argentina’s “ambassador” to help it join the group of emerging countries known as BRICS, acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Lula is currently campaigning in support of incumbent presidential candidate Daniel Scioli, and the so called 'Kirchner' model that 'transformed Argentina'.
The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution put forward by Argentina regarding sovereign debt restructuring, which seeks to limit the movement of speculative funds in influencing such actions.
The death of a young boy from the Qom indigenous community in the Argentine province of Chaco, one of the poorest areas of the country, caused public opinion commotion and triggered a debate as to the cause of his death and the miserable living conditions of the indigenous peoples in Argentina.
Argentina's Defense minister Austin Rossi handed Malvinas veterans a report on the 1982 South Atlantic conflict compiled from recently declassified military documents. The report handed to Ernesto Alonso, head of the Malvinas former combatants national committee was drafted by the ministry's Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law desks.
Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was convicted inciting violence and sentenced to 13 years in prison on Thursday for his leading role in the 2014 street protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro that spiralled into bloodshed, killing more than 40 people. A statement from Unasur (Union of South American Nations) is expected on Friday.
After months of trying to shore up Brazil's public finances, President Dilma Rousseff now faces political and business pressure to ease up on painful austerity measures in a country long hooked on the helping hand of a big state.
Brazil's popular but scandal-weary former leader Lula da Silva endorsed Argentina's ruling party presidential candidate on Wednesday, identifying Daniel Scioli's credentials with the political left, and hoping the current project “that began in 2003 is re-elected”. The former president was also full of praise for president Cristina Fernandez.
Queen Elizabeth has thanked well-wishers in the UK and overseas for their “touching messages of kindness” as she becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Speaking in the Scottish Borders, the 89-year-old monarch said the title was “not one to which I have ever aspired”.