
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it does not see a trend in South America toward state nationalization of private companies despite moves made by Bolivia and Argentina in recent weeks, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The IMF warned Latin America on Wednesday that favourable economic conditions are not for ever and called on the region’s countries to “rebuild defences” ahead of an uncertain economic future.

Europe was pressed by other world powers to take strong measures to fix its debt-heavy economy and restore growth to a level that would lift the cloud hanging over the fragile global recovery.

Argentina managed a first point in the diplomatic dispute with Spain over the nationalization of YPF when the IMF decided to call the conflict a “bilateral affair” and “a decision of a sovereign nation”.

The US government considers Argentine is obliged to submit its economic statistics to be validated by the IMF, and Washington will support all efforts from the multilateral organization so that the objective can be achieved.

Argentina's move to nationalize local oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, was strongly criticized by the World Bank president Robert Zoellick and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé.

The Brazilian economy is set to grow 3% in 2012 after the modest 2.7% of last year, but following the relaxation of monetary policy it runs the risk of ‘overheating’, according to the IMF World Economic Outlook, WEO.

Uruguay growth estimate has been downed for 2012 while prices will be higher, according to the latest IMF World Economic Outlook released on Tuesday. The economy is set to grow 3.5% down from 4.2% while prices will climb to 7.4% compared to the 6.5% estimate of the previous WEO last September.

The International Monetary Fund will make a compulsory review of Argentina’s economy because of the country’s refusal to allow the multilateral organization to examine its finances since 2006, the Buenos Aires media reported on Wednesday quoting IMF sources.

Housing busts and recessions are more severe and last for at least five years when they follow a big run-up in household debt, according to a study released by the International Monetary Fund. For that matter, the IMF has urged governments to consider “bold” interventions to reduce household debt levels and stimulate growth.