Politics

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 01:41 UTC

  EU FTA agreements with Colombia and Central America became effective August first

  

  Free trade agreements, FTA, signed by the European Union with Colombia, and with Central American countries Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama became effective August first as part of the EU strategy to eliminate tariffs on trade with Central American and the Andean region.

• Saturday, August 3rd 2013 - 01:38 UTC

  Santos describes Colombian economy as the ‘third fastest growing’ in Latam

  

  The Colombian economy is the third fastest growing in Latinamerica with a stable performance in 2012 of 4%; an estimated 4.5% this year and 4.7% in 2014, said President Juan Manuel Santos on making a balance of his three years in office.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 04:17 UTC

  Argentines capable of ‘eluding the Pope and the UN in getting dollars out of their country’

  

  Uruguay president José 'Pepe' Mujica was again ironic in praising Argentines when he stated that the Argentine population “is capable of eluding the Pope and even the United Nations” in their quest to buy US dollars and get them out of the country, in spite of current exchange controls.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 04:10 UTC

  Paraguay advancing on trade agreement with Mexico, previous to requesting Pacific Alliance membership

  

  Paraguay and Mexico have made significant advances in reaching a trade agreement in the framework of the Latinamerican Integration Association, ALADI, according to Paraguayan diplomatic sources.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 04:05 UTC

  Argentina president of the United Nations Security Council

  

  Argentina assumed on August first s the rotating Presidency of the United Nations Security Council. Argentina was elected as a non-permanent member of the multilateral body by the General Assembly for the 2013-2014 term rallying unanimous support among Latin American and Caribbean nations.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:55 UTC

  Brazil supports IMF aid to Greece and summons delegate back home to explain

  

  Brazil on Thursday expressed support for the IMF latest aid package for Greece, disavowing its IMF delegate who abstained in a vote on the issue. Finance Minister Guido Mantega spoke with IMF chief Christine Lagarde and backed the Fund's decision to release 1.7 billion Euros in rescue loans to ailing Greece Monday, his spokesman said.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:49 UTC

  Lagarde again warns Argentina about the need for ‘credible stats’

  

  The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde has once more requested that Argentina present economic figures based on “trustworthy and credible numbers and statistics”.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:39 UTC

  Rajoy admits in Parliament mishandling corruption scandal, but won’t resign

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy apologised on Thursday for mishandling a major corruption scandal, but denied he or his conservative People's Party, PP, accepted illegal payments and rejected opposition calls to step down.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:33 UTC

  Brazil June public accounts improve supported by state and local governments’ surpluses

  

  Brazil's twelve-month public sector primary budget surplus widened in June amid a robust surplus from state and local governments, helping bring the country's nominal deficit slightly narrower.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 03:26 UTC

  Brazil's Rousseff announces billions to improve Sao Paulo transport system

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff moved quickly this week to improve bus services in the metropolis of Sao Paulo, where protests over a fare increase in June triggered an outburst of national discontent that battered her popularity and questioned the country’s infrastructure for two major world events in 2014 and 2016.