LatinNews Daily - 12 September 2018

Development: On 11 September, Brazil’s leftist Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) officially announced that Fernando Haddad would take over from Lula da Silva (2003-2011), the imprisoned former president, as the party’s presidential candidate in the 7 October general election.... Read More

Development: On 11 September Colombia’s President Iván Duque offered his full support to his finance minister, Alberto Carrasquilla, in the face of the allegations of impropriety levelled against him.... Read More

Ecuador: Ecuador’s government led by President Lenín Moreno has announced the launch of the Intracampos oil concessions tender, featuring eight oil blocks (Iguana, Perico, Arazá Este, Pañayacu Norte, Espejo, Shaino, Charapa, and Chanangue) in Sucumbíos province that will require US$1bn in total exploration investment.... Read More

* Brazil’s Defence Minister General Joaquim Silva e Luna has met with his Venezuelan counterpart, General Vladimir Padrino López, in the Venezuelan town of Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar state.... Read More

Development: On 11 September the Costa Rican government led by President Carlos Alvarado announced that despite two days of strikes more than 40 institutions were operating normally.... Read More

Honduras: According to the latest figures from the Honduran central bank (BCH), year-on-year inflation in August was 4.35%.... Read More

Development: On 11 September, Mexico’s federal chamber of deputies – now dominated by the Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) party of leftist President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador – approved a resolution calling for the suspension of the controversial teacher evaluations introduced under the 2012-2013 education reform until the reform is reviewed by the incoming López Obrador administration.... Read More

* Mexico’s social security institute (IMSS) has released new figures which show that, as of 31 August, 20m formal jobs were registered, with an additional 644,978 formal jobs created in the first eight months of the year – the second highest amount for that period of the last 17 years.... Read More

Development: On 11 September Uruguayan political opposition leaders heavily criticised the decision by the Frente Amplio (FA) leftist coalition government led by President Tabaré Vázquez to punish the armed forces commander, General Guido Manini Ríos, for questioning the government’s plans to reform the military pension scheme (Caja Militar).... Read More

Argentina: Argentina’s central bank (BCRA) intervened in the local currency market yesterday and sold US$55m worth of US dollars in a bid to uphold the value of the peso.... Read More