Politics

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 23:30 UTC

  Cuba prepares for the annual UN General Assembly round clash with the US

  

  Both the United States and Cuba would benefit if Washington would lift its longstanding trade embargo against the island, but US President Barack Obama has toughened the sanctions since taking office in 2009, a top Cuban official said.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 22:59 UTC

  Finance minister tells Congress world crisis will not affect Argentina

  

  Finance minister Hernan Lorenzino said on Thursday that the international crisis will not affect Argentina and attributed this to the policy of drastically cutting the country’s sovereign debt which now stands at only 40% of GDP.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 22:15 UTC

  Venezuelan electoral process, “one of the most advanced and reliable”

  

  The mission from Unasur (Union of South American Nations) that will be acting as ‘accompanying observer’ in the coming presidential elections in Venezuela, 7 October, and the only organization allowed to fulfil that task, said that the Venezuelan electoral process is one of the “most trustworthy and reliable”.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 22:11 UTC

  Uruguay’s economy suffers slight deceleration in 2Q but on track to the 4% target

  

  The Uruguayan economy experienced a slight deceleration in the second quarter of this year, but with an overall positive evolution. GDP increased 0.8% over the previous quarter and 3.8% over the same quarter a year ago, according to the latest release from the Central bank.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 06:09 UTC

  Argentine campaign to promote domestic tourism disqualifying Mercosur options

  

  Argentina launched an aggressive campaign to boost domestic tourism this coming summer season by publishing hotel, food and rent prices of resorts along the Atlantic coast and comparing them with similar options in Mercosur partners such a Uruguay, Brazil and Chile.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 06:00 UTC

  Chile and Peru, countries with the highest economic freedom score in Latam

  

  Latin America shows a huge diversity regarding economic freedom with Chile (10) and Peru (24) among the top ranked 25 countries and another four, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and Venezuela at the other end according to the latest report on Global Economic Freedom.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 05:55 UTC

  Venezuela’s Capriles with a fair chance of winning the “mother of all political battles”

  

  With less than three weeks for the “mother of all political battles” in Venezuela but that will have repercussions in the rest of the continent, the latest public opinion polls are indicating that opposition candidate Henrique Capriles is leading with 52% vote intention while Hugo Chavez has 48%.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 05:06 UTC

  Family farmers and greens converge on Brussels to protest EU agriculture policy

  

  Farmers and activists from all over the continent converged on European Union headquarters Wednesday to push for a food policy that is fairer to family farmers and kinder to the environment and developing nations.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 02:22 UTC

  Uruguayan president Mujica at his lowest approval rate since taking office

  

  The approval of Uruguayan president Jose Mujica dropped to 36% which is the lowest since he took office in March 2010, and the lowest of the ruling coalition Broad Front, according to the latest public opinion release.

• Thursday, September 20th 2012 - 01:40 UTC

  Brazil announces auctioning of new oil concessions for next May

  

  Brazil's Dilma Roussef has approved the auctioning of new oil concessions next year, subject to congressional approval of a new royalties law, authorities said. The 11th auction outside the pre-salt next May would involve 74 oil blocks, half at sea and half on land.