Politics

Monday, August 19th 2013 - 13:23 UTC
Mercosur ‘remains a fiction’ admits Uruguayan foreign minister

Mercosur as an only market ‘remains a fiction’ since it is missing the effective implementation and ironing out of trade and macroeconomic reforms, said Uruguayan foreign minister Luis Almagro, who went on to promote “double and triple membership” for Mercosur members.
Monday, August 19th 2013 - 13:12 UTC
Uruguay calls on Mercosur to sign a free trade agreement with United States

Uruguayan Vice-President Danilo Astori said Mercosur must decisively address the signing of a free trade agreement with the United States, but also admits that “opportunities must be built”.
Monday, August 19th 2013 - 13:04 UTC
Quadripartite admits talks with Spain but with Gibraltar having voice, vote and veto, says opposition

Gibraltar opposition Leader Daniel Feetham has urged a cooling down of the language in the row with Spain and confirmed that the GSD Opposition would agree to quadripartite talks with Spain so long as the Gibraltar delegation retained its own separate voice, vote and veto.
Monday, August 19th 2013 - 12:52 UTC
Margaret Thatcher documents: King Juan Carlos in no rush to recover Gibraltar because of Morocco threat

Spain’s King Juan Carlos told Margaret Thatcher’s most senior official at least twice that “it was not in fact in the interests of Spain to recover Gibraltar soon, even if it were possible.” Instead he agreed with the United Kingdom that it was for Spain to make herself attractive to the Gibraltarian people.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 18:00 UTC
Canadian bank abandons Uruguay following raid on its office on request from Argentine judge

The Royal Bank of Canada, RBC, is abandoning Uruguay following a raid in its offices at Zonamerica ordered by a Uruguayan magistrate on request from Argentina during which computers, documents on clients and even cell phones from staff were seized by the intervening party which included on-watching Argentine treasury police.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 17:46 UTC
Ecuador ‘forced’ to drill for oil in pristine Amazon rainforest; ‘rich countries have failed us’

Ecuador has abandoned a conservation plan that would have paid the country not to drill for oil in previously untouched parts of Yasuni National Park in the Amazon rainforest. President Rafael Correa said rich nations had failed to back the initiative, leaving Ecuador with no choice but go ahead with drilling.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 17:42 UTC
World Cup 2014 exposes Brazil’s lack of non-commercial aircraft infrastructure

Non-commercial aircraft are expected to carry as many as one in nine international visitors to the World Cup in Brazil next year by some estimates, but industry leaders say the country is unprepared for the oncoming swarm.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 16:31 UTC
UK asks EU to ‘urgently’ send a team to gather evidence on Gibraltar/Spain ‘borders’ row

Britain has asked the EU to “urgently” send a team to Gibraltar “to gather evidence” on extra border checks at the centre of a growing row with Spain. PM David Cameron spoke to EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to raise “serious concerns” that Spain's actions are “politically motivated”.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 03:27 UTC
South American defense ministers meet to improve monitoring of Amazon region

South American defense ministers gathered in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus on Thursday to discuss how to improve monitoring of the huge Amazon region. Attending the seminar which runs through Friday are Brazil's Celso Amorim, Colombia's Juan Carlos Pinzón and Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa.
Friday, August 16th 2013 - 03:15 UTC
Chief coordinator of Rio’s 2016 Olympics resigns triggering fears about Brazil’s ability to stage the games

The head of the public body coordinating planning for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro has resigned, raising concerns about the city's ability to stage the first games in South America. Resignation of Marcio Fortes, who headed the Olympic Public Authority, was confirmed Wednesday by the organization.