By David Gallagher
(Ed. Note: Gallagher, a columnist for the conservative daily El Mercurio, is a man of many parts. He's British and Chilean, former Oxford professor of Spanish and Russian, author of the classic Modern Latin American Literature (1973), economist, investment banker, international business consultant, and father to children living on three continents.
(In this column he remarks that the “previous government”—that is Michelle Bachelet’s — “privileged imagery over reality.” One example: to celebrate a significant date, Bachelet cut the ribbon on a new hospital empty of equipment but filled with patients who were actually actors and who pretended to be ill for the press.)
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim was the latest high ranking official to complain about the limitations applied to bilateral trade with Argentina and said it was imperative for the country to understand that Brazil is a huge market.
Argentine Defence minister Nilda Garré said that four navy patrol vessels will be sent to the “Mar Argentino” (South Atlantic) to show presence and the willingness of Argentina to exercise sovereignty over the (Argentine) Falklands/Malvinas Islands.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner assured that there weren't, nor ever will be, barriers blocking Brazilian imports, after holding a meeting in Rio de Janeiro with her Brazilian counterpart Lula da Silva, a gathering she classified as more than good.
Colombia goes to the polls Sunday in unusual circumstances for its recent history, with a technical tie between the top two presidential candidates who lead the pack of six contestants.
Risk rating agency Fitch downgraded Spain’s sovereign debt on Friday one notch from AAA to AA+ with an outlook of stable, saying that the country’s economic recovery is likely to be difficult and prolonged.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised Peru as a clear example of how to enforce the right economic policies since its GDP this year is expected to grow 5 to 7%.
South America must recover its military dissuasive capacity so it can say ‘no’ when necessary said Brazilian Defence minister Nelson Jobim following a meeting this week in Montevideo with his Uruguayan counterpart Luis Rosadilla.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Barbados from June 6-10 to participate in the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) and consult with our regional partners on issues of shared interest.
Australia has said it will begin legal action against Japan over whaling in the Antarctic. Canberra will argue that the annual whaling hunt in the Southern Ocean is in violation of an international ban on commercial whaling.