British ambassador in Uruguay Ben Lyster-Binns said the coming referendum in the Falkland Islands involves the people of the Islands, United Kingdom and Argentina and expects the Uruguayan government to respect the referendum even when Foreign Minister Luis Almagro anticipated that the country will not recognize the results of the ballot.
Uruguayan opposition lawmakers, as from the rest of the continent will be travelling to the Falklands as observers of the referendum scheduled for next March 10/11 “to see the legitimacy of the process and results” but also because Uruguay has interests that go beyond the territorial dispute between Argentina and the UK.
Foreign Secretary William Hague has accused Argentina of bullying and intimidatory behaviour towards the Falkland Islands. Mr Hague in a Sunday interview with The Sun promised never to negotiate over the islands' sovereignty unless their people called for it - a referendum will take place next month.
Brazilian inflation in January climbed to 0.86%, the highest for the month in the last ten years, according to the country’s stats office, IBGE. Inflation in December was 0.79%, ending the twelve months of last year at 5.82% which was in the target range with a ceiling of 6.5%.
Venezuela devalued its currency for the fifth time in nine years as ailing President Hugo Chavez seeks to narrow a widening fiscal gap and reduce a shortage of dollars in the economy. The new exchange rate falls by 32% to 6.3 Bolivar per dollar starting Feb. 13, Finance Minister Jorge Giordani told reporters in Caracas.
Populist Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has maintained a huge lead over his nearest opposition rival in the run-up to the Feb. 17 elections, recent polls show. Correa's popularity has remained above 50% throughout his six years in office, buoyed by his personal charisma as well as his government's heavy spending on hospitals, roads and schools.
After lengthy talks in Brussels European leaders have reached an agreement on the budget for 2014-20 with a ceiling of 960 billion Euros, the first time the EU multi-annual budget has been reduced.
Ireland clinched a long-awaited deal to ease the burden of its bank debts, sending its borrowing costs falling to pre-crisis levels and bolstering its chances of ending its reliance on EU-IMF loans this year.
Known as the ‘Fortress of the Sea’, HMS Edinburgh is the largest and the last Type 42 destroyer to serve in the Royal Navy. She finished her six month tour of the South Atlantic Islands this week and is due to be decommissioned in June, but before heading north again Falkland Islands residents were given the opportunity to have a peek on board.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo this week wrote to the Financial Times after the respected financial daily made a glaring error about Gibraltar in an editorial column centred on Argentina.