4.1% Growth For Chile

According to the Chilean newspaper “El Mercurio” Chile’s economy is projected to grow 4.1% in 2012. Down from 6.5%  in 2011, expected growth in 2012 would nonetheless top not only the projected average for all of Latin America, but the global average of just 3.1% according to the paper. Regional growth is expected to be…

Uruguay Rejects Falkland Vessel

In May 1851, Brazil intervened in a regional conflict on behalf of Uruguay. In return, Uruguay granted Brazil the right to intervene in her international affairs. To this day, Uruguay is closely tied to the international politics of Argentina and Brazil. All are members of the powerful union Mercosur. Owing to the Argentina’s persistent claims over the Falkland Islands, despite international recognition…

Per Capita Income Change from 2010 to 2011

Following on graphical representations of how a select subset of Latin American nations rank in terms of per capita incomes, the following chart represents the percentage change of per capita income year on year from 2010 to 2011*: *International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, April 2011

The Kirchners and Their Wealth

Néstor Carlos Kirchner served as President of Argentina from May, 2003 to December, 2007. His wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was elected as President of Argentina in October, 2007 and was reelected in October, 2011 following the death of her husband in October, 2010. According to official reports from an Argentine anti-corruption office the couple’s…

Caracas Divides Mercosur

Mercosur is a full customs union encompassing Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay y Uruguay. Additionally, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia and Perú are associate members of the union, and as such, participate in the economic union, but not the unified customs system. While Venezuela signed into the union in 2006, their membership has been blocked ever since by…

GDP (PPP) Per Capita in Latin America

Per capita incomes throughout Latin America currently lag behind first world nations; however, that hasn’t always been the case. Argentina, for example, counted itself as one of the wealthiest nations in the world at the turn of the 20th century. Today certain nations provide a demonstrably higher standard of living in the region due to…

Venezuelan Diplomat Implicated in Spy Ring

On Sunday, January the 8th, the US State Department declared a Venezuelan diplomat to be persona non grata. Livia Acosta Noguera has represented Venezuela in Miami since early 2011, and has been implicated by US representatives in expressing an interest in Mexican hacking organizations to infiltrate and disrupt US interest. According to a report by the Spanish language channel Univision she…

Free Trade for Colombia

Initiated in 2004 under the George Bush administration, the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) was signed into law in October 12, 2011 under pressure largely from conservative politicians in the US government. US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), in particular has condemned the pace with which the Obama administration moved forward with the agreement, and suggested that US trade with…

Cristina Fernández Misdiagnosed

Last week, the president of Argentina had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and underwent surgery. Now officials are indicating that, rather than cancer, Cristina Fernández had a benign tumor. Recently, the heavy handed progressive president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, had suggested that the United States of America may have developed technology to induce cancer in their political…