Politics

• Monday, August 12th 2013 - 18:03 UTC

  Brazil urged for agreement with EU, since next year it will lose trade preferences

  

  Brazil, Latin America‘s biggest economy, is planning to try to negotiate a separate trade deal with the European Union, Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said in remarks published Monday.

• Monday, August 12th 2013 - 07:25 UTC

  Uruguay hosts four-day long UN conference on population development

  

  Uruguay together with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are holding a four day conference in Montevideo as of Monday under the heading of First session of the regional conference on population and development in Latam and the Caribbean.

• Monday, August 12th 2013 - 01:45 UTC

  Falklands and Gibraltar: Spain considering a joint front with Argentina at UN, says Madrid media

  

  Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo will be visiting Argentina next September to meet with his peer Hector Timerman to discuss the Gibraltar and Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty disputes and consider the possibility of a joint front.

• Monday, August 12th 2013 - 01:24 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez defeated in Argentina’s main electoral districts; Massa pledges ‘end to confrontation’

  

  President Cristina Fernandez Victory Front managed to remain as the leading political force nationwide on Sunday’s congressional primaries but her opponents emerged exceptionally strong in the all-important province of Buenos Aires and the other main districts of the country, to the extent that some political analysts anticipate the beginning of the end of the ten years of Kirchnerism.

• Sunday, August 11th 2013 - 23:25 UTC

  Mapuche conflict in Chile flares up following the killing of local indigenous activist

  

  Dozens turned out on Saturday in southern Chile for the funeral of a Mapuche land activist and fugitive who last Tuesday was found dead of shotgun wounds to the chest. Carabineros have made no arrests and have no suspects so far, said local authorities.

• Sunday, August 11th 2013 - 21:28 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez will attend Cartes inauguration in Paraguay; problems with Mercosur protocol

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernandez confirmed by writing that she would be attending the inauguration of Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes next Thursday 15 August, according the organization committee of the event in Asuncion, Ambassador Federico Gonzalez and head of Protocol at the Paraguayan foreign ministry.

• Sunday, August 11th 2013 - 21:19 UTC

  Brazil’s Rousseff approval rating bouncing back; support for economic team remains ‘soft’

  

  President Dilma Rousseff’s approval rating gained six percentage points after diving in the wake of massive protests in Brazil, a poll published on yesterday showed. The number of Brazilians who consider Rousseff’s administration “great” or “good” was 36%, up from an all-time low 30% in late June.

• Sunday, August 11th 2013 - 04:36 UTC

  Unasur lifts suspension pending on Paraguay effective 15 August

  

  The Union of South American Nations, Unasur, decided late Friday to lift the suspension pending on Paraguay, which will become effective next 15 August when president-elect Horacio Cartes takes office.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 17:06 UTC

  Argentina Sunday primaries a leadership dispute inside the hegemonic Peronist party

  

  On Sunday Argentina will go to the polls to select their candidates for the country’s upcoming October legislative elections. Though it may seem a trivial democratic chapter, the open, mandatory and simultaneous primaries will in fact be the first step in an election that is likely to prove critical to Argentina and most probably a referendum on President Cristina Fernandez’ administration.

• Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 16:30 UTC

  Rajoy calls for ‘four-flag’ dialogue on Gibraltar and does not discard ‘unilateral measures’

  

  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he hopes for dialogue with Britain soon regarding Gibraltar, but added that until talks take place his government would continue to consider unilateral measures to defend Spanish interests. He said the country will take “all legal measures” to protect its interests in Gibraltar.