Politics

• Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 05:56 UTC

  Uruguay joins the women’s presidential club: Mujica flies to China and Astori to Colombia

  

  For several days beginning Wednesday Uruguay, as its neighbours, Brazil and Argentina will be ruled by a woman. Lucia Topolansky, Fist Lady but also Senator and third in the succession line will become interim president since her husband is off on an official trip to China and Europe, and Vice-president Danilo Astori will be attending the Alliance of the Pacific summit in Colombia.

• Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 05:53 UTC

  Uruguay’s main problem is high inflation but no policy changes planned, says Astori

  

  Uruguay's main economic problem is high inflation, and policymakers will continue to use interest rates and bank reserve requirements to bring it under control, Vice President Danilo Astori said on Tuesday. Consumer prices in Uruguay rose 8.14% in the 12 months through April, far outside the country's official annual target range of 4 to 6%.

• Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 02:12 UTC

  Cristina prepares great rally to celebrate ten years of the Kirchnerite model

  

  The Argentine government is preparing for a huge political demonstration next Saturday 25 May to be held in the Plaza de Mayo to celebrate 10 years since President Cristina Fernández late husband and predecessor Néstor Kirchner took office. It will also be a test ahead of the October mid-term election.

• Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 00:25 UTC

  Alliance of the Pacific promotes meeting with business and finance global leaders

  

  A meeting of leading world and regional business and finance corporations representatives is scheduled parallel to the Alliance of the Pacific presidential summit scheduled for this week in the Colombia city of Cali. According to the organizers the event has 250 CEO confirmed for the First Business meeting of the alliance.

• Wednesday, May 22nd 2013 - 00:16 UTC

  PM Cameron warns 10 Overseas Territories on tax issues: ‘get your house in order’

  

  Prime Minister David Cameron has urged British overseas territories to “get their house in order” and sign up to international treaties on tax. He wrote to 10 territories and crown dependencies, including the Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man, which operate low-tax regimes.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2013 - 23:58 UTC

  Venezuelan opposition airs conspiracy recordings against Maduro from his own party

  

  The Venezuelan opposition has released an audio recording that it said contains a prominent member of the ruling party discussing political strategy with a Cuban intelligence officer. Opposition lawmaker Ismael García said the recording captures a phone conversation between state TV personality Mario Silva, a staunch government ally, and a Cuban identified as Lieutenant Colonel Aramis Palacios.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2013 - 06:45 UTC

  Falkland Islands: it’s a three-side debate; Argentina must recognize Islanders right to decide their future

  

  UK conditioned a possible re-launching of agreements on hydrocarbons and fisheries in the South Atlantic to Argentina accepting ‘there will be no sovereignty negotiations’ regarding the Malvinas Islands and called for the Argentine government to respect the wishes of the Falkland Islanders.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2013 - 06:43 UTC

  Argentines expect inflation to average 34.9% in the next twelve months

  

  Argentines expect inflation to average 34.9% in the next twelve months according to a private report released on Monday by the Finance Research Centre, CIF, belonging to the Torcuato Di Tella University.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2013 - 06:34 UTC

  Falklands: optimism about identification of the unknown Argentine soldiers

  

  An Argentine delegation involved in human rights that in early May visited the Falkland Islands is optimistic about the possibility of advancing in the identification of the remains of Argentine soldiers buried as unknown in unmarked graves at the Darwin cemetery.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  Venezuelan overture to the US: “time to resume diplomatic representation at the highest level”

  

  Venezuela on Sunday made a rare diplomatic overture to the United States, suggesting it could be time for better ties. Foreign minister Elias Jaua said on Televen Sunday program that “we are going to remain open to normalizing relations with the United States”.