
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a 120 million dollars loan to finance the second phase of Uruguay's Strategic International Positioning Program. Its goal is to consolidate the country's international positioning, contributing to an increase in investments—mainly those aimed at high value-added sectors— and exports.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff finally announced on Thursday the appointment of Joaquim Levy, as her next Finance minister who is also known as the 'scissors man', who pledged more realistic fiscal targets and promised more balanced economic growth.

European Union and Mercosur representatives analyzed the current state of negotiations for an association and free trade agreement but could not establish a date for the exchange of new proposals because the European Commission has yet not concluded the consultation process with member states to harmonize its proposal.

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica who next Monday begins the last three months of his five-year mandate enjoys a 65% public opinion support according to the latest poll from Mori released this week. Negative opinion only represents 17% while 18% did not say whether they approved or disapproved of the popular leader’s performance.

Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Luis Almagro highlighted that Mercosur is the “main buyer” of Uruguayan exports and strongly defended the country's presence in the regional group, a controversial issue since much of the country's political system and most of the business community want a more dynamic, open trade block.

Brazil's oil and gas giant Petrobras (and currently immersed in a major corruption scandal) has decided the appointment of a director of governance, risk management and compliance mainly to ensure risk mitigation and ensure the repeat of situations of fraud and corruption, according to a release from the corporation.

Twenty six British universities participated in Santiago de Chile at the Education UK Exhibition for postgraduate studies organized by the British Council in conjunction with the Embassy in Chile.

Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile had a 3.2% unemployment rate in the third quarter of the year, according to the latest Chilean Stats Office, INE, report. This is the second lowest in the country, behind Aysén Region and marks a slight drop compared to the immediate previous quarter June/July/August, 3,3%.

Recruitment is underway to encourage more members of the community to serve as Justices of the Peace with the Courts and Tribunals Service. Justices of the Peace provide an essential public service within the community, hearing a range of criminal and non-criminal cases in the Summary Court.

More National Guard troops and police have been sent to Ferguson, Missouri to head off a third night of violence, as over 400 people have been arrested in the St. Louis suburb and around the United States in unrest after a white policeman was cleared in the killing of an unarmed black teenager.