LatinNews Daily - 09 August 2019

Final surveys released ahead of Guatemala's 11 August presidential second round run-off show Alejandro Giammattei of the opposition conservative Vamos party ahead of former first lady (2008-2012) Sandra Torres of the also opposition Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE).... Read More

On 8 August, a national judge in Ecuador ordered the preventive detention of former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017) for alleged involvement in a corruption network.... Read More

*Venezuela's de facto president, Nicolás Maduro, emphasised the importance of Venezuela’s alliance with China when announcing the beginning of the 'José' mixing plant expansion project, in the northeastern state of Anzoátegui.... Read More

On 8 August, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro defended his Justice Minister Sérgio Moro’s proposed security bills known as the ‘anti-crime package’ during his weekly Facebook Live broadcast, having earlier described it as secondary to other reforms. ... Read More

* Brazil’s national statistics institute (Ibge) has released the latest figures for the national consumer price index (IPCA), which registered a 0.19% monthly variation in July.... Read More

* Panama’s public works minister, Rafael Sabonge, has announced plans to launch bids for 18 public infrastructure projects around the country at a cost of US$445m.... Read More

On 8 August, Adrián López Solís, the attorney general of Mexico’s Michoacán state, confirmed that 16 men and three women had been killed in the city of Uruapan.... Read More

* Mexico’s national statistics institute (Inegi) has released the latest figures for its national consumer price index (INPC) which show a monthly variation of 0.38% from June to July 2019.... Read More

On 8 August, the campaigning for the 11 August open, simultaneous, and mandatory party primaries (Paso) leading up to the 27 October general election formally ended, with the main candidates in the presidential race staging closing campaign rallies.... Read More

* Credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has said that the decision by the Argentine goverment to tender a new gas pipeline linking the 'Vaca Muerta' shale hydrocarbon deposit in the south-eastern province of Neuquén to central Argentina, where 60% of the country's natural gas demand is concentrated, will improve the medium-term prospects for gas production companies.... Read More