President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner reported that the French government concurs as a amicus curiae (friend of the court) in support of Argentina’s request for review in the U.S. Court in its dispute with the “vulture funds.” 

Peru’s government has reached an agreement with informal miners that have been protesting throughout the Andean country over efforts to regulate their activities. 

So noted Juan José Lagorio BNAmericas of Santiago.  Colombia has approved 26.2 trillion pesos (US$13.4 billion) in funding for nine highway projects, part of a master plan to revamp and expand Latin America’s fourth largest road network. 

In El Financiero of Mexico City Rocóo Hernández Monreal wrote that Héctor López Santillana, Minister of Economic Development for the State of Guanajuato, said that conditions are good there for the creation of at least “eight clusters” in the agro-food, chemical, fashion, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, tourism, new technologies, and housing sectors that can repeat the success

El Financiero of Costa Rica reported that Massachusetts Institute of Technology is looking for innovative Central Americans.  They seek individuals under 35 years of age who have created an innovative technological solution to a problem that will have a social impact.  

La Tribuna of Tegucigalpa noted that Paraguay has joined the list of countries pursuing public-private partnerships to jump start infrastructure development, a mechanism in vogue in Latin America to overcome “bottlenecks” in the construction of roads, airports, and power grids. 

Dinero Magazine of Bogotá reported that Latin America is in the sights of big oil companies.  This renewed interest in the region comes despite “the difficult internal situations” of many countries. 

In BNAmericas of Santiago Andrew Rogers reported that US-based networking company Cisco sees strong growth opportunities in Colombia, and is aiming to double its revenues in the country within the next three years, according to the company’s newly appointed general manager for Colombia, Christian Onetto. 

PáginaSIETE of La Paz was proud to report that the Bolivian economy grew 6.8% in 2013. 

El Espectador of Bogotá reported that drought in Brazil has driven up the price of coffee, soybeans, and sugar.