Politics

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 23:35 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez flies to G-20 in Russia on Tango 01, but changes aircraft in Morocco

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández left on Tuesday for Russia to attend the G20 summit to begin next Thursday at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg. The president flew on her office’s Tango 01 to Morocco where she changed aircraft to avoid any possible injunction from hedge funds on the presidential transport.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 23:25 UTC

  Blackout leaves half of Venezuela in the dark; Maduro claims an “electrical coup”

  

  President Nicolas Maduro blamed Venezuela’s right-wing opposition for what he called “sabotage” and an ‘electrical coup’ that he said caused blackouts that plunged much of the country into chaos.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 23:17 UTC

  Gibraltar diplomatic conflict “an important fire” says Spain, but friendship with UK must prevail

  

  Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo addressing parliament on Tuesday described the current diplomatic conflict with the UK as an ‘important fire’ and blamed it on three apparently minor incidents: Gibraltar authorities having dropped the agreement with Spanish fishermen a year ago; the recent dumping of cement blocks in the bay of Algeciras (Gibraltar) and the construction of a new reef.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:49 UTC

  President Santos prepares for the last leg of his four year mandate

  

  The Colombian ministerial cabinet presented on Monday a protocol resignation to President Juan Manuel Santos so that the leader can make the necessary changes as his administration prepares for the last year of his mandate, according to Palacio Nariño sources.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:42 UTC

  Colombia government warns effective peace conditions with FARC could take ten years

  

  The head of the Colombian negotiation team Humberto de la Calle cautioned on Monday that in case a definitive agreement is reached with the FARC rebel forces, (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces), peace could reach ten years after the ratification of the accord.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:37 UTC

  Paraguay insists in reviewing all decisions adopted by Mercosur during its 14-month suspension

  

  Foreign minister Eladio Loizaga said Paraguay will hold before Mercosur the same position it sustained at the Unasur summit in Suriname requesting that all decisions adopted during the last year and two months in which the country was suspended, are formally analyzed.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:33 UTC

  Journalist Greenwald promises more revelations on the NSA spying network

  

  The US National Security Agency also intercepted text messages by Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto in which the then-presidential front-runner discusses two possible cabinet picks, journalist Glenn Greenwald said on Sunday night’s show ‘Fantastico’, citing a 24-slide presentation. Peña Nieto assumed office in December 2012.

• Tuesday, September 3rd 2013 - 01:29 UTC

  Brazil outraged with NSA spying waiting for a ‘satisfactory reply’ from Obama

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Roussef is considering at least three reactions to the US government following allegations that the US National Security Agency, NSA, spy program targeted the president, her ministers and advisors as revealed by the O Globo television program ‘Fantastico’. Earlier on Monday US Ambassador Thomas Shannon was summoned by Foreign minister Luiz Alberto Figuereido.

• Monday, September 2nd 2013 - 20:02 UTC

  Uruguay no longer a magnet for Argentine funds looking for real estate investments

  

  Uruguay has ceased to be the magnet for Argentine funds looking for safe places to save and real estate investments since the Argentine revenue service AFIP, following on the neighbouring countries tax-data exchange agreement, could have access to that information, according to Uruguayan private financial and investment advisors.

• Monday, September 2nd 2013 - 19:54 UTC

  Chile replies strongly to CFK: Piñera sold his stake in Lan ‘to avoid conflict of interests'

  

  The Chilean government replied strongly to suggestions from Cristina Fernandez referred to President Sebastian Piñera and his personal fortune saying that in Chile ‘the president and high officials once elected must abide by rules of transparency” and that is why the president voluntarily agreed to sell his stake in LAN airlines before taking office to avoid a conflict of interests.