The devaluation of the yuan tests China’s rise as a world power

Экономика Китая, vigiljournal.com

After the devaluation of the yuan, the international financial markets started trembling. Washington accused Peking of taking advantage of the market. As China wants to incorporate the yuan into the Special Drawing Rights, it is inconvenient to prolong the devaluation. Furthermore, if a currency war broke out, China would risk increasing the economic and geopolitical tensions between countries in the Asian-Pacific region. That way, the United States would have more possibilities to disrupt regional co-operation initiatives and thereby undermine China’s rise as a world power.

Lead the world economy’s yuan-ization

Новая мировая валюта, vigiljournal.com

In international press, a lot of ink has been devoted to the BRICS. Without a doubt the participation of the five-party in the world economy block has increased over the course of the last years, competing directly with the United States and the European Union. However, the details about the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement make it clear that its members resist to abandoning the orbit of the dollar in order to destroy the shell of the Bretton Woods institutions.

Russia will create an aviation hub in Latin America

Авиация, vigiljournal.com

In Latin America there are some 420 aircrafts manufactured in Russia which include a hundred helicopters Mi-8/17, 18 fighters Su-25, 31 MiG-29 and 70 MiG-21. On Wednesday Rostec the Russian state company said it is considering creating a center for aircraft maintenance and Russian helicopters in Latin America. “Rostec” has revealed that the first center for component repairs and parts replacement, as a pilot project will be created in Peru.

Dilma Rousseff recognizes that there's an economic problem in Brazil

Brazil, vigiljournal.com

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, acknowledged today that there is an "economic problem" in the country, although she hopes that the recovery will come later this year thanks to fiscal adjustments, made by the government.

"Without a shadow of doubt, there is an economic problem in the country. We had a very difficult economic situation," said Rousseff during a meeting with bloggers and journalists from several Brazilian news portals.

China lends 3,5 billion dollars to Petrobras

Petrobras, vigiljournal.com

The China Development Bank (CDB), one of the two banks of Chinese development, and Brazil's Petrobras today announced an agreement to open a credit line of 3,5 billion dollars for the oil company.

In a brief statement, without specifying the details of the agreement, Petrobras reported that "the parties confirmed the intention to develop a new partnership in the future."

Peru seeks to protect Mashco-Piro tribe from displacement

The Peruvian government seeks to protect Mashco-piro an Amazonian tribe which has been living in isolation for years and recently began to leave its territory, probably driven by mining and illegal logging.

It is an ethnic group of hunters and gatherers who speak an unknown language. Consisting of about 800 members, for years the tribe has lived on a reservation of Madre de Dios (on the border with Brazil), the region with the largest illegal gold production in the country, but now it is moving.

Yuri Knorozov, or how a scientist, who deciphered the Mayan writing system, has become a symbol of Russian-Mexican scientific cooperation.

Culture of peoples that inhabited the New World territory in pre-Columbian era has always attracted the attention of scientists from all over the world. Not only scientists but just curious people also took part in the researches – dozens of daredevils of different nationalities set off on the dangerous expedition into the wild places of Yucatan, the Amazon and the Peruvian desert for discoveries. Vanished from history indigenous populations of Central and South America have always attracted by their originality, mysteriousness and uniqueness. 

Brazil reached the highest annual inflation in the last ten years

If we take into account the February inflation rate of 1.22%, Brazil has accumulated over the last twelve months 7.7%, exceeding the fiscal target set by the government of Rousseff and has reached the worst figures in the last ten years.

Gasoline rose 8.42% last month, ethanol 7.19% and diesel 5.32%, these increases have helped to push overall inflation. Public transport and education have also risen last month. In the regular courses, the monthly rise has accounted to an average of 7%.

Interview with the member of Saint-Petersburg's Government, Chairman of Saint-Petersburg's Committee on External Relations Alexander Prokhorenko

Александр Прохоренко

- Alexander Vladimirovich, our journal is devoted to the issue of cooperation between Saint-Petersburg and Latin American countries. What can be the basis for such active development of our relations, to your mind?