South America: Climate change takes tropical diseases up the mountain

Naomi Mapstone-Financial Times, 04/23/2009
Life in the Andes, the highest chain of mountains outside Asia, can be harsh for the succession of indigenous people who have dwelled there since the Tiwanaku settled at altitude near Lake Titicaca around 400AD.
Until recently, however, tropical disease was not among the catalogue of woes they had to contend with. As [...]

A new start in the Americas

The Economist, 04/23/2009
Anti-Americanism was invented in Latin America as the expanding United States first swallowed a chunk of Mexico and then turned the Caribbean into an American lake, arousing nationalist resentment along the way. There have since been other, more co-operative strands in inter-American relations. But George Bush reminded many Latin Americans that what they [...]

U.S. Trade Chief Says Obama Will Push Ahead on Pacts

Brian Knowlton-The New York Times, 04/23/2009
In his first policy speech, the top United States trade official said Thursday that President Obama would work to revive global trade talks and complete three bilateral accords as part of an aggressive trade agenda.
The administration plans “a new paradigm” on trade, the trade representative, Ron Kirk, told an [...]

Brazil: Unemployment rate hits 9 percent

Associated Press, 04/24/2009
Brazil says its jobless rate is at its highest level since September 2007.The government statistics agency says unemployment hit 9 percent in March. That is up from 8.5 percent in February. It is also a jump from March of last year, when the jobless rate was 8.6 percent.
The agency said Friday that 141,000 [...]

Brazil Stocks Gain as Banks, Retailers Rise on Economic Outlook

Alexander Ragir-Bloomberg, 04/23/2009
Brazilian stocks gained for a second day on speculation the economy is recovering after retailer Natura Cosmetico SA’s earnings beat estimates and a report said Visa Inc.’s local affiliate plans to sell shares.
Banco do Brasil SA and Banco Bradesco SA surged more than 4 percent on speculation earnings of the two banks, [...]

Emerging nations want IMF bond plan revamped-Brazil

Walter Brandimarte-Reuters, 04/23/2009
Brazil and other emerging economies are willing to provide additional financing to the International Monetary Fund but they are still not happy with the capitalization mechanism proposed by the institution, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Thursday.
The IMF is working on a plan to issue bonds to emerging countries that have offered to [...]

IMF Adviser Urges Extra Funds for Ailing Nations

Bob Davis-The Wall Street Journal, 04/23/2009
The head of the International Monetary Fund’s top advisory committee said the IMF should look for ways to help countries weather financial problems related to the recession without forcing them to make severe budget cuts.
“You need to make sure fund intervention doesn’t make things any worse,” said Egyptian Finance Minister [...]

Nine G20 members restricting trade: Zoellick

Lesley Wroughton-The Washington Post, 04/23/2009
World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Thursday nearly half of the Group of 20 nations are considering or have taken measures to restrict trade in the face of an economic downturn.
“Since the G20 meeting less than 3 weeks ago, nine G20 countries have taken or are considering 23 measures [...]

Brazil says summit sets new era for U.S.-Latam relations

Reuters, 04/19/2009
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday the Summit of the Americas had created a chance for a new era in relations between the United States and Latin America.
He was speaking at the end of the summit in Trinidad and Tobago where U.S. President Barack Obama said he saw “potential positive [...]

Brazil spends to transform slums

Gary Duffy-BBC News, 04/20/2009
The headlines concerning the group of favelas or shanty towns in Rio de Janeiro known as the German’s Complex or Complexo do Alemao have frequently been grim in recent years. On one day in 2007, police pursuing drug traffickers killed 19 people here in circumstances that are still bitterly contested.
For the tens [...]