LatinNews Daily - 28 September 2018

Development: On 27 September the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) approved a resolution calling for the Venezuelan government to accept humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the humanitarian emergency in the country resulting from the scarcity of food and basic goods.... Read More

* According to the latest figures released by Colombia’s national statistics agency (Dane) national industrial production was up 2.7% in the first seven months of 2018, compared with an increase of 0.1% over the same period in 2017.... Read More

Development: On 27 September, Brazil’s national industry confederation (CNI) released a report which highlights the negative impact that electoral uncertainty is having on economic activity and growth, in relation to the construction industry specifically. ... Read More

* Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras has reached an agreement with the US and Brazilian authorities to pay a US$853.2m settlement, resolving claims that the company violated the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.... Read More

Development: On 27 September a San José judge declared illegal the strike by Costa Rica’s Limón/Moín port complex workers’ union Sindicato de Trabajadores de Japdeva (Sintrajap).... Read More

* Guatemala’s electoral authority (TSE) has announced it will cancel the legal status of the small opposition Encuentro por Guatemala (EG) party.... Read More

Development: On 27 September, Mexico’s federal chamber of deputies summoned Alberto Elías Beltrán, the acting head of the federal attorney general's office (PGR) while the position remains vacant, to explain the sentence given to the former governor of Veracruz state, Javier Duarte (2010-2016).... Read More

* Mexico’s senate has approved an agreement calling on the federal government led by President Enrique Peña Nieto (which leaves office in December) and the national minimum salary commission to fix the minimum wage at M$176.72 (US$9.4) per day (up from the current M$88.36) at a national level as of January 2019.... Read More

Development: On 28 September Argentina’s national statistics institute (Indec) revealed that 27.3% of the urban population were living in poverty in the first half of the year, up by 1.6 percentage points on the second half of 2017.... Read More

* Paraguay’s central bank (BCP) has reported that net foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country reached US$455.9m in 2017, a 22.9% year-on-year increase.... Read More