LatinNews Daily - 04 March 2024

On 1 March Argentina’s President Javier Milei made a much-anticipated appearance to open the new session of congress, an institution which he recently branded a “nest of rats” and with which he has been locked in an acrimonious struggle since he took office last December.... Read More

On 1 March Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa marked his first 100 days in office with high popularity ratings due to his hardline security policies, but facing some significant economic challenges.... Read More

*Switzerland’s attorney general’s office has ordered the Geneva-headquartered energy company Gunvor to pay CHF86.7m (US$98.02m) in relation to the bribery of Ecuadorean public officials by the company’s employees between 2013 and 2017.... Read More

On 1 March Brazil’s national press reported the federal police (PF) questioned former army commander Marco Antônio Freire Gomes (March-December 2022) as a witness in relation to the ongoing investigation into an alleged military coup conspiracy to overturn the 2022 election defeat of former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023).... Read More

*Brazil’s national statistics institute (Ibge) has reported that the country’s GDP closed 2023 at R$10.9trn (US$2.2trn), registering an annual growth rate of 2.9%.... Read More

On 3 March Haiti’s government declared a state of emergency in response to the storming of two prisons by armed gangs, resulting in the escape of some 4,000 prisoners.... Read More

*The Dominican Republic’s central bank (BCRD) has maintained its interest rate at 7.0%, taking into account “the recent evolution of the international environment”, according to a BCRD statement.... Read More

On 3 March authorities in Mexico’s Guerrero state announced the killing of Alfredo González Díaz, who was running for mayor of Ayotac de Álvarez municipality for the Maoist Partido del Trabajo (PT).... Read More

*Mexico’s central bank (Banxico) has released new figures which show the country received remittances totalling US$4.58bn in January 2024, up 3.1% year-on-year.... Read More

*Chile’s central bank (BCCh) has released its monthly index of economic activity (Imacec) for January, which shows a yearly increase of 2.5% and a rise of 1.7% compared to the previous month.... Read More

Argentina/Brazil: On 23 February US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Argentina where he held meetings with President Javier Milei and key government officials.... Read More