Politics

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 17:58 UTC

  Argentine ex-military dictator sentenced to life, Jorge Videla dies in jail cell

  

  Jorge Rafael Videla, a former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a “dirty war” dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:51 UTC

  Argentina’s ‘autarkic project’ worsens bilateral relations and multiplies problems

  

  In an interview with the Spanish government news agency EFE, Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica said Argentina’s economic “autarkic project” “worsens” bilateral ties and “multiplies” trade troubles. Still, he ruled out pressures on Buenos Aires; “they won’t work,” he insisted.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:46 UTC

  Argentine whitewash bill turning into ugly electoral debate

  

  Argentina’s whitewashing bill or more modestly ‘tax amnesty’ has joined the political debate of the coming October mid-term elections. The tax revenue bureau or AFIP confirmed taxpayers’ “legitimate externalization right” “will not be affected” even in the “hypothetical case that the opposition manages to rally a majority parliamentary stance” after October’s legislative elections.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:40 UTC

  Pope Francis condemned the global ‘cult of money’ and the ‘new idols’

  

  Pope Francis has condemned the global “cult of money” and urged world leaders to do more for the poor. In his first major speech on finance and the economy, the pontiff said money should be made to “serve” people, not to “rule” them.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:33 UTC

  Bolivian congress confirms President Morales can run for re-re-election

  

  Bolivia’s Lower House passed a bill this week which would allow President Evo Morales to run for a third mandate in next years’ elections. The bill passed in an 84 to 33 vote, following a decision by the country’s Constitutional Court — whose judges were appointed by Morales — saying the re-re-election bill does not violate Bolivia’s Constitution.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:26 UTC

  Uruguay’s José Mujica lauds booming Brazil ties

  

  By Jude Webber in Montevideo - The Financial Times has published a piece on Uruguayan president Jose Mujica and his view on the future and his government’s policy towards two powerful neighbors, Argentina and Brazil.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:05 UTC

  Criticized Peruvian foreign minister steps down and is replaced by a female

  

  Peru's Foreign minister has resigned, the government said on Wednesday, days after he was criticized for contributing to a diplomatic spat with Venezuela. The office of President Ollanta Humala said in a statement that Rafael Roncagliolo resigned ”strictly because of health reasons”.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 02:38 UTC

  Prince Harry and PM Cameron launch in New York global campaign to promote Britain

  

  HRH Prince Harry and UK Prime Minister David Cameron this week kicked off a global tour promoting Britain as a world class destination for trade, tourism, investment and education as part of the GREAT Britain campaign.

• Thursday, May 16th 2013 - 22:18 UTC

  OAS praises Ecuador ‘civic spirit’ and suggests regulating use of public resources for electoral purposes

  

  The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) received this week the oral report of the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) that accompanied the process of general elections in Ecuador on February 17, which was presented by the Chief of Mission Rafael Alburquerque, who stressed the “great civic spirit” of Ecuadorians.

• Thursday, May 16th 2013 - 19:39 UTC

  Falklands’ lawmakers meet Chaco human rights group following formal Argentine request

  

  On request from a group of human rights representatives from Chaco, Argentina, Falkland Islands lawmakers met and listened to their views on a number of issues resulting from the 1982 war. The meeting followed a formal request from the group directly to the Falklands elected Legislative Assembly.