Politics

• Monday, September 27th 2010 - 14:48 UTC

  Chavez looses two thirds majority in Congress, but remains leading figure

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez suffered a serious setback last Sunday when he lost his two-thirds majority in the National Assembly reflecting increasing disenchantment with the charismatic leader and his administration’s failures and pose a great challenge for his 2012 re-election aspirations.

• Saturday, September 25th 2010 - 05:17 UTC

  Mercosur meets in Brazil ahead of trade negotiation round with the EU

  

  Next Wednesday Mercosur country members are scheduled to meet in Brazil to coordinate for the coming round of Mercosur/European Union trade negotiations that will be taking place in Brussels, October 11 to 15.

• Saturday, September 25th 2010 - 05:06 UTC

  Uruguay raises basic rate; gives priority to inflation target

  

  Uruguay’s central bank raised on Friday its overnight lending rate to 6.5% from 6.25% as inflation expectations are above the target range of 4% to 6%. The decision took the market by surprise since exporters have been asking for a stronger US dollar, but the Economy ministry said “it did not visualize a loss of competitiveness”.

• Saturday, September 25th 2010 - 04:57 UTC

  Chilean government cornered by Day 75 of Mapuche hunger strike

  

  There is no resolution in sight for the Chilean indigenous Mapuche hunger strike. On Day 75, the health of the 34 prisoners is in danger. Eight have been hospitalized, with one needing surgery for appendicitis.

• Friday, September 24th 2010 - 23:40 UTC

  Cristina blasts UK and UN Security Council for lack of progress in Falklands/Malvinas

  

  Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner criticized the British government for continuing to ignore Argentina's request for sovereignty talks over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

• Friday, September 24th 2010 - 07:07 UTC

  Venezuela’s Communes: Not as Radical as You Might Think

  by COHA Research Associate Geoff LeGrand - Under President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has been no stranger to controversy. However, one of Chávez’s proposals has evoked particularly strong emotions – the establishment of socialist communes (comunas socialistas) throughout the country. The proposed commune law (ley orgánica de las comunas) would further expand and institutionalize Venezuela’s system of communal councils – local municipal governing bodies that are ruled by neighborhood leaders using state funds to finance social projects in their communities.

• Friday, September 24th 2010 - 05:49 UTC

  Falklands, Iran, Palestine, issues of Mrs Kirchner address to UN assembly

  

  Renewed Falkland Islands claim, reformulation of international organisms, Iran and Palestine are among the issues that Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will be addressing in her speech before the UN 65th General Assembly on Friday, according to Argentine diplomatic sources.

• Friday, September 24th 2010 - 05:12 UTC

  Uruguay marks distance from Argentina: UK does not come to plunder resources

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica marked distance from Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner and said that denying clearance to a Falkland Islands bound British destroyer to call in Montevideo was based on previous decisions on the issue and “not in a defence of interests against the UK”, reports the local daily Ultima Noticias.

• Friday, September 24th 2010 - 02:46 UTC

  Top journalism awards for Mexican photographer and Argentine reporter

  

  A Mexican photographer who documented his country's drug war and an Argentine reporter who wrote about identifying the victims of Argentina's military dictatorship were awarded this week one of Latin America's most prestigious journalism awards.

• Friday, September 24th 2010 - 02:44 UTC

  Mrs. Kirchner confirms controversial economist as central bank president

  

  The Argentine government confirmed Mercedes Marco del Pont as president of the Central bank. She supported and executed the controversial use of international reserves to pay sovereign debt, an issue which forced the ousting of her predecessor in the post, respected banker Martin Perez Redrado.