Politics

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:57 UTC

  Venezuela imposes power cuts and announces network of “Socialist” shops

  

  Venezuela has imposed sweeping power cuts on industry and businesses in order to save its limited energy resources and avoid mass blackouts. The government said the cuts were because of falling water levels at the Guri Hydroelectric dam, which supplies much of the country's power.

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:49 UTC

  Another austerity year ahead for Cubans announced Raul Castro

  

  The Cuban economy grew by only 1.4% in 2009, far from an initial forecast of 6%, Economy and Planning minister told parliament this week. Marino Murillo said that Cuba’s exports fell by 22.9% this year, while imports were down 37.4%. Prospects for 2010 are modest: 1.7% growth.

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:26 UTC

  Minutes show Bank of England unanimous vote on December decisions

  

  All nine members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to hold interest rates at its December meeting. Minutes from the meeting also showed that the MPC was unanimous in voting to maintain the £200bn quantitative easing (QE), or asset buying, programme.

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:18 UTC

  Tribunal admits only 49% of registered Hondurans voted on November 29th

  

  Over half of Honduras registered voters in Honduras did not participate in the controversial presidential election last November 29th, held under the de facto regime, according to figures released by the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:14 UTC

  Bolivian Tribunal confirms Evo Morales’ sweeping electoral victory

  

  Bolivia’s re-elected president Evo Morales ratified his sweeping victory on December 6 general election when he was supported by 64.2% of the vote, according to the final vote count from the country’s Electoral Court.

• Thursday, December 24th 2009 - 09:03 UTC

  EU, US and OAS condemn killing of Colombian governor attributed to FARC

  

  The European Union, United States and the Organization of American States condemned the killing of Colombian governor Luis Francisco Cuellar, which has been attributed to the Marxist-inspired, drugs-funded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, the oldest guerrilla grouping operating in the country.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2009 - 15:52 UTC

  Kidnapped Colombian governor found dead with slit throat

  

  The body of Luis Francisco Cuellar Carvajal, governor of the Colombian department of Caqueta, was discovered Tuesday not far from where he was kidnapped the night before, government spokesperson Wilmer Rua said.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2009 - 15:44 UTC

  Uruguay cuts basic rate and eases credit to sustain US dollar

  

  Uruguay surprised markets with a 175 basic point rate cut to 6.25% from 8.00% amid expectations of lower inflation. The central bank also decided to reduce the inflation target fluctuation for the next 18 months from 3 to 7%, to 4% and 6%.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2009 - 15:37 UTC

  Several Argentine economy indicators rebounding

  

  Argentina’s November primary fiscal surplus increased sharply over a year ago, 46.2%, reflecting a better performance of the country’s economy, pointed out Economy minister Amado Boudou confirming what President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had anticipated on Monday.

• Wednesday, December 23rd 2009 - 15:23 UTC

  Brazilian Central bank ready to “preventively” increase rates in 2010

  

  Brazil’s Central bank is ready to act preventively to fight inflation after it forecast growth in 2010 will accelerate to the fastest in three years, triggering above-target inflation, said Mario Mesquita, the bank’s Economic policy director.