In El Nuevo Diario of Managua Óscar Sánchez wrote that Nicaraguan families will continue to pay more than usual for perishable and staple grains. 

The Buenos Aires Herald reported that following a video conference from Government House, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner slammed the “speculative sectors” who “want to see us flying through the air,” and urged local politicians to help in the implementation of the Precios Cuidados program.

El Tiempo of Bogotá reported that consumer prices in Venezuela continued to increase despite promises by the government that it could control their escalation. 

In Colombia Reports of Medellín Steven Cohen noted the beginning of the 20th round of Colombian peace talks in Havana.  Like the round before it, which ended on January 23rd, the 20th round will focus on the cultivation of illicit narcotics, the third in a six-point topic agenda. 

Semana Magazine of Bogotá pointed to increasing threats against journalists in Colombia.  Since 1977, 142 journalists have been killed “in the exercise of their profession.” 

El Heraldo of Tegucigalpa noted in an editorial that over 9,000 young people have died in 16 years.  During the Porfirio “Pépe” Lobo administration alone there were 3,901 violent deaths. 

El Comercio of Quito noted that thirty years after his death in Paris, “Julio Cortázar and his brilliant pen continue to inspire new generations of Argentine writers.”  “I think Cortázar is present when I think about my characters, the importance of cities as recurrent settings for my fiction, as well as the quest for writing

In Qué Pasa Magazine of Santiago Jorge Sánchez wrote that Rodrigo Sepúlveda heard the story that inspired his film “Aurora” more than a decade ago.  A woman in southern Chile found a dead baby girl in a landfill and wanted to adopt her so she could bury her. 

El Espectador of Bogotá marveled that while Daniela Liebman is just 11-years-old, the Mexican prodigy is already determined to be one of the best pianists in the world.  Her favorite music is classical, especially Chopin, Franz Liszt, Mozart, and Beethoven, but she also enjoys pop, jazz, and blues “with The Beatles and Queen” thrown in. 

Presidential elections held on February 2nd in El Salvador and Costa Rica will go to second rounds after the favorites failed to get enough votes to win outright.  Economic inequality, corruption and crime dominated the contests, and tilted the scales to the left.