
The death toll from the heavy rains and flash floods that have pounded Buenos Aires City and La Plata, capital of the Buenos Aires province have climbed to at least 54, and could increase, Argentine authorities said on Wednesday.

Argentina will use 2.3 billion dollars of central bank reserves this year to meet payments to international financing organizations and on its official bilateral debt, according to the Official Gazette.

Uruguay consumer prices climbed 0.66% during March totalling 3.59% in the first quarter of the year and 8.54% in the last twelve months, according to a Wednesday release from the National Stats Office, INE.

Brazil’s industrial output shrank more than expected in February, reversing most of the previous month’s gains and casting fresh doubt over the health of an anaemic recovery in the struggling sector.

Brazil’s Central Bank will keep a close eye on the economy to see if there is a need for any action to tame stubbornly high inflation, the bank's chief Alexandre Tombini said in a presentation to the Senate's economic affairs committee

On 8 December 2005, the UN General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. To that effect UN Secretary General has released a message.

On the International Mine Awareness Day (April 4), the Organization of American States highlighted the successful humanitarian demining efforts throughout the Americas. National authorities in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are to be commended for increasing awareness of the dangers posed by landmines, for reducing the number of landmine victims, and for assuming responsibility for their national programs, said OAS.

A US appeals court gave holders of defaulted Argentina debt three weeks to respond to the country’s proposed plan to pay them much less than the 1.33 billion dollars they have sued to collect.

A Falkland Islands delegation concluded this week a very successful visit to Colombia where they not only met with local authorities and lawmakers but also addressed the Lower House of Congress and were able to express loud and clear the Islanders’ message born out of the recent referendum in which they overwhelmingly voted to remain a British Overseas Territory.

Falklands’ lawmaker Gavin Short regretted on Tuesday in Bolivia that the governments of South America take for granted the Argentine version of the conflict between Argentina and the UK over the Islands sovereignty without ever having listened to the other side.