Politics

• Thursday, August 20th 2009 - 04:51 UTC

  “Deep scars” from recession will an effect for years to come, warns IMF

  

  The world has begun to recover from recession but the process will not be simple, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. The recession has “left deep scars which will affect both supply and demand for many years to come” according to IMF chief economist, Olivier Blanchard.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2009 - 12:44 UTC

  Mujica meets President Bachelet and expresses admiration for Chile

  

  Uruguay’s ruling coalition presidential candidate Senator Jose Mujica met on Tuesday with Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as part of a regional campaign to boost the Broad Front ticket. Last week Mujica and his ticket partner economist Danilo Astori met with Brazil’s Lula da Silva.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2009 - 12:20 UTC

  Honduras breaks diplomatic relations with Argentina

  

  Honduras suspended diplomatic relations with Argentina on Tuesday in retaliation for having its ambassador expelled from Argentina last week. The move stems from tensions between the two countries over the June 28 coup in which Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya was replaced by congressional leader Roberto Micheletti.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2009 - 04:57 UTC

  Spain/UK to cross swords in Gibraltar waters legal challenge before EC

  

  Spain plans to help the European Commission fend off a legal challenge by Gibraltar over a decision relating to the Rock’s territorial waters, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle. Lawyers representing the Spanish government filed an application to join the controversial case last Friday, a day after the British government confirmed that it would support Gibraltar in court.

• Wednesday, August 19th 2009 - 04:54 UTC

  US/Colombia free trade treaty “heading for approval”

  

  The free trade treaty between United States and Colombia, pending US congressional approval, is on route to be confirmed said US ambassador in Bogotá William Brownfield.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2009 - 13:29 UTC

  Governor Serra leads vote intention for Brazilian presidential election

  

  Jose Serra, Sao Paulo governor and main reference of the opposition leads comfortably in public opinion polls for next year’s presidential election in Brazil when the successor of President Lula da Silva is to be chosen.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2009 - 13:14 UTC

  Chilean police charged with shooting and killing Mapuche activist

  

  Chilean military authorities have decided to press charges against José Patricio Jara Muñoz, the Carabinero (uniformed police) officer who shot and killed Mapuche activist Jaime Mendoza Collío during a confrontation last week in Region IX. Jara Muñoz is accused of using excessive force resulting in death. Mauches are Chile’s largest indigenous group.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2009 - 13:09 UTC

  Brazil and Mexico disappointed with their bilateral relations

  

  Presidents of Brazil Lula da Silva and Felipe Calderon from Mexico called for a strategic alliance between the two countries based on free trade and cooperation between state energy companies Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and Petrobras.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2009 - 13:03 UTC

  US media sets eyes on Argentina’s “manipulation of numbers”

  

  Argentina’s Statistics Institute controversy was joined Sunday by a most reputable newspaper, the Washington Post that called Indec numbers a ”manipulation (...) done under pressure from above”.

• Tuesday, August 18th 2009 - 07:55 UTC

  Malvinas Families will inaugurate Argentine Memorial next October

  

  The Commission of Malvinas war Families confirmed to the Buenos Aires press that the Argentine Memorial at the Falklands’ Darwin cemetery will be inaugurated next October in two consecutive Saturdays. An advance party to coordinate the events is expected in the Falkland Islands at the end of the month.