Politics

• Monday, March 16th 2009 - 11:08 UTC

  Colombian presidential hopeful says time is ready to end US aid

  

  Colombia’s Vice-President Francisco Santos said the country does not need any longer United States funds to combat the narcotics trade and guerrillas movements because time is up “and we don’t need them”.

• Monday, March 16th 2009 - 08:52 UTC

  Uruguay adopts low profile approach to Argentina’s trade hurdles

  

  Uruguay has no plans to appeal before Mercosur against Argentina’s decision to expand the list of products which no longer have access to automatic import licences which is significantly slowing bilateral trade, said Uruguay’s director of the Mercosur Economic Affairs and Integration Office, Walter Cancela.

• Sunday, March 15th 2009 - 17:47 UTC

  Chavez offers bases for Russian long-range bombers

  

  A Russian general said on Saturday Venezuela has offered the use of its La Orchila island airfield for Russian strategic bombers on long-range flights.

• Sunday, March 15th 2009 - 15:29 UTC

  Pte. Obama and Lula da Silva review global economy

  

  President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed the economy, energy and the environment Saturday during their first White House meeting.

• Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 09:42 UTC

  Trade commitments ease Venezuela’s access to Mercosur

  

  Venezuela and Paraguay closed this week a round of business negotiations to boost bilateral trade which will become effective once Venezuela is formally incorporated to Mercosur, it was reported in Asunción.

• Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 09:38 UTC

  Tax havens agree to relax bank secrecy laws

  

  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed announcement that Switzerland is relaxing key bank secrecy laws as “the beginning of the end of tax havens.”

• Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:44 UTC

  Obama sends Biden and Hillary on Latinamerican offensive

  

  President Barack Obama administration has begun moving on several fronts to repair strained US relations with Latin America. Obama meets Saturday at the White House with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and he is sending Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Latin American missions to prepare for the mid-April Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:42 UTC

  Washington reassures bond holder China that the US is “a credible nation”

  The White House has sought to assure China that its one trillion US dollars in investments in the United States is safe despite the economic downturn.

• Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:36 UTC

  Spanish congressional consensus for talks on Gibraltar sovereignty

  

  Intense and at times fiercely debated discussions led to Spain’s governing party the PSOE convincing the PP opposition and other parties to join in a consensus motion on Spain’s approach to the Gibraltar question, it emerged this week according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Saturday, March 14th 2009 - 07:26 UTC

  Lula da Silva, Biden and PM Brown confirmed for political summit in Chile

  

  Under the logo “A Progressive response to the global crisis” Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will host next March 27 and 28 a new Progressive Leaders summit to which top international leaders from Africa, Latinamerica, United states and Europe have confirmed their participation.