Politics

• Wednesday, January 16th 2013 - 05:57 UTC

  Chilean government in contacts with Mapuches to find solution to the conflict

  

  The Chilean government started contacts in an attempt to ease tension and find solutions to the escalating conflict with the indigenous Mapuche in the southern province of La Araucania which has seen killings and properties torched.

• Wednesday, January 16th 2013 - 03:52 UTC

  Statement on Falklands expected from South Atlantic peace zone meeting

  

  Representatives from 21 African and South American countries are debating in Uruguay the consolidation of the South Atlantic as a zone free of massive destruction arms and its “improper militarization”, as a result of the growing tension between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 06:55 UTC

  Strong ruling party leader ignores Cristina Fernandez ‘dollar clamp’ policy

  

  Following recent criticism from President Cristina Fernández in support of her ‘dollar clamp’ policy, Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli justified his savings in US dollars by affirming he needs to travel overseas because of his physical problem.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 06:53 UTC

  US waiting for Venezuela situation to ‘clear up’; insists constitution must be complied

  

  United States and other Latinamerican countries wish the situation in Venezuela ‘clears up’, said Roberta S. Jacobson Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, currently in Spain as part of a visit that also includes the UK and Belgium.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 06:51 UTC

  Chavez followers and opposition plan to take streets of Caracas on the same day

  

  Venezuela’s ruling party said on Monday that the ‘high command’ is receiving instructions from President Hugo Chavez in Havana while its grass roots leaders are organizing a massive rally next week which happens to coincide with a similar march on the same day but to protest and organized by the opposition.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 06:49 UTC

  Battle over the debt ceiling rages; Bernanke warns economy still too weak

  

  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urged US lawmakers to lift the country's borrowing limit to avoid a potentially disastrous debt default, warning that the economy was still at risk from political gridlock over the deficit.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 06:43 UTC

  Preparations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Falkland Islands

  

  At the invitation of Mensun Bound, some twenty-five people, including three members of the Falklands elected Legislative Council met to consider ways in which the one hundredth anniversary of the Battle of the Falkland Islands should be marked, when it falls on December 8, 2014.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 02:57 UTC

  UK considers “highly unlikely” Argentine invasion of the Falklands but is taking no chances

  

  The British government considers ‘highly unlikely’ Argentina will attempt to invade the Falkland Islands, according to Defense Minister Andrew Robathan. But the UK is prepared for any outside contingency that might want to interfere with the March referendum on the Falklands’ future.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 02:54 UTC

  Brazil insists with fresh election in Venezuela if Chavez dies, according to Reuters

  

  According to a report from Reuters, Brazil is urging Venezuela's government to hold elections as quickly as possible if President Hugo Chavez dies, which in that case would help a smoother leadership transition in Caracas.

• Tuesday, January 15th 2013 - 02:06 UTC

  Argentina’s inflation in 2012 climbed to 25.6% according to private agencies

  

  The 2012 twelve-month inflation in Argentina climbed to 25.6%, two times the figures registered by the official data from stats office Indec, according to the index presented by opposition lawmakers based in the analysis of nine private agencies.