Politics

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 07:46 UTC

  Argentina/Venezuela sign strategic cooperation agreement to boost energy

  

  After attending the Mercosur extraordinary meeting in Brasilia, President Cristina Fernández and her Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, signed a cooperation agreement to develop a strategic energy plan between state oil companies YPF and PDVSA.

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 07:29 UTC

  Argentina will formally protest vandalism at the Darwin cemetery in Falklands

  

  Argentina repudiated the ‘profanation’ of the hermitage at the Darwin cemetery in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, which holds the graves of Argentine combatants who lost their lives during the 1982 conflict.

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 05:20 UTC

  Argentina: controversy over jailed prisoners taken to participate in “cultural activities”

  

  A controversy erupted in Argentina following confirmed claims that the government of President Cristina Fernandez appeals to convicted prisoners in support of public presentations and political rallies under cover of cultural activities.

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 05:09 UTC

  Venezuela purchases 20 commercial aircraft from Brazil in a 900m dollars deal

  

  Venezuela signed on Tuesday an agreement to purchase 20 commercial aircraft from Brazil’s Embraer in an operation valued at 900 million dollars

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 01:24 UTC

  Uruguay and Brazil sign wide ranging accord to promote trade and political links

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica and his peer Dilma Rousseff signed in Brasilia a bilateral agreement to promote the free circulation of goods and services and the strengthening of political and trade links between the two countries.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 23:19 UTC

  With Venezuela Mercosur has become “a new pole of world power”

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández said on Tuesday during a press conference held at the Mercosur extraordinary summit in Brasilia, that Venezuela’s entry to the bloc “strengthens the entire region” and creates a “new pole of power” at world level.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 22:22 UTC

  Second risk rating agency upgrades Uruguay to investment grade

  

  Moody's Investor Service upgraded Uruguay's sovereign ratings from Ba1 to Baa3, following Standard & Poor's upgrade announced on April.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 11:22 UTC

  Brazil’s “major corruption trial” takes off Thursday and involves 38 politicians

  

  Brazil’s Supreme Tribunal is preparing details for the so called “major trial” of the country’s history which accuses 38 high ranking politicians and officials involved in a 2005 corruption case which almost tumbled the government of then President Lula da Silva.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 07:42 UTC

  Not without controversy Venezuela becomes Mercosur fifth full member

  

  Following a full day of deliberations in Brasilia between Foreign Affairs ministers, the presidents from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, on Tuesday will formally receive Venezuela as the new full member of Mercosur, as was agreed at the regular mid year summit in Mendoza.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 04:04 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez prepares another ‘independence day’ celebration next Friday

  

  Argentina is ready to cancel next Friday a bond issue which was handed out to residents with bank deposits victims of the so called “corralito” (paddock) in 2002 when the collapse of the Argentine economy and financial system.