Latinnews Daily - 03 January 2018

Development: On 2 January Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa Sabino, the archbishop of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, urged the Venezuelan government led by President Nicolás Maduro to solve the “social emergency” in the country and to ensure the staging of a “clean” general election due to be held this year.... Read More

Ecuador: The central bank (BCE) has reported that the domestic economy grew by 3.8% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2017.... Read More

Development: On 2 January, Brazil's President Michel Temer promulgated into law the 2018 national budget bill for an estimated R$3.5tn (US$1.07tn), which includes a partial veto on the education budget.... Read More

*Brazil's industry & trade ministry (MDIC) reported that the country registered a positive trade surplus of US$67bn in 2017.... Read More

Development: On 2 January, Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela gave an address to welcome delegates to the opening session of the fourth term of the national assembly, in which he asserted that he would not “allow the ghosts of narcopolitics or corruption to return or flood the future of Panama”.... Read More

El Salvador: The president of El Salvador’s unicameral legislative assembly, Guillermo Gallegos, has called on deputies from all political parties to “urgently” approve a 2018 draft national budget.... Read More

Development: On 2 January Mexican authorities confirmed the killing of a fifth politician in the space of a week.... Read More

*The central bank (Banxico) has reported that Mexican nationals living abroad sent US$26.6bn in remittances back to Mexico from January-November 2017, a 6.15% year-on-year increase.... Read More

Development: On 2 January Paraguay’s bicameral national congress overturned the partial veto issued by President Horacio Cartes against the congressionally-approved 2018 draft national budget.... Read More

Uruguay: The official investment and export promotion agency, Uruguay XXI, has reported that the country’s exports increased by 9.2% year-on-year in 2017 to reach US$9.06bn.... Read More