
Argentina faces 42 claims at the World Bank’s ICSID in which the plaintiffs are demanding compensations for almost 65 billion dollars, revealed Eduardo Barcesat legal advisor to the Argentine Treasury and one of several lawyers who has defended the country in those litigations.

The European Commission gave on Wednesday the go ahead for Spain to overhaul its stricken nationalized banks and opened the door for nearly 40 billion Euros in Euro zone aid to be disbursed, offering hope for an end to Spain's banking crisis.

The head of Brazil’s Justice and Human Rights Movement, Jair Krischke stated before the Truth Committee that it was the Brazilian dictatorship which master minded the notorious Plan Condor, the South American military dictatorships undercover trans-border organization of the sixties and seventies.

Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell has written to the London representatives of British Overseas Territories to alert them to what he sees as a shortfall in a new report on the future of the Commonwealth.

Brazilian Executive special advisor on International Affairs, Marco Aurelio Garcia anticipated that at the coming summit in Lima, the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, would not lift the suspension on Paraguay which will hold until April’s election.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he is returning to Cuba on Tuesday to continue treatment for cancer, raising new questions about his health just weeks after he won re-election to another six-year term.

Peruvian president Ollanta Humala expressed solidarity with Argentina in the Malvinas Islands issue and said that “the problems of the region are common problems” for all countries.

During a ceremony to receive visiting Peruvian leader Ollanta Humala Argentine President Cristina Fernández said that she would make a plea for Unasur members to come together in the fight against ‘vulture funds’ (hedge funds) when the region’s leaders meet this week in Lima.

FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke has warned Brazil of the increasing crime rate in cities like Sao Paulo and also stressed on the need of more infrastructure ahead of the 2014 football World Cup.

Global growth is set for a sharp slowdown next year and the Euro zone debt crisis “remains the greatest threat to the world economy at present,” the OECD warned on Tuesday. In its latest Economic Outlook the OECD also cautioned that “the risk of a new major contraction cannot be ruled out” after a global slump in 2009.