Obama Charm Offensive Targets Venezuela After Iranians, Cubans

The Obama administration’s charm offensive with unfriendly states has rolled through Myanmar, Iran and Cuba. Next stop: Venezuela.

Report: US spied on Brazil's Petrobras, Google

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Documents leaked by Edward Snowden indicate the National Security Agency spied on Brazil's state-run oil company, the private computer networks of Google and a company that facilitates most of the world's international bank transfers, a Brazilian TV report says.

Mexico may retaliate in meat-label row with U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Mexico may hit back with trade measures against the U.S. in reaction to a new rule requiring meat sold in the U.S. to carry labels specifying its origin, according to a media report.

State visits amplify Obama focus on Latin America

WASHINGTON (AP) — Keeping a keen eye south of the border, the Obama administration is intensifying its engagement with Latin America, hosting leaders from a pair of presidents at the White House and sending Vice President Joe Biden to visit two others.

Repsol: Exploratory oil well off Cuba comes up dry

HAVANA (AP) — An exploratory oil well off the northern coast of Cuba has proved a failure and will be capped and abandoned, Spanish company Repsol said Friday, a disappointment for a cash-strapped nation hoping for an economic lifeline.

US Tells Latin America to Help Poor Get Richer Too

Poised to expand its free-trade network in Latin America, the United States on Wednesday pressed governments of the region to ensure that all of their citizens benefit from the increased prosperity that expanded commerce offers. The Obama administration offered $17.5 million in American assistance toward that goal.

Speaking at a regional economic conference in the Dominican Republic, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she expected Congress to approve a set of new trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama quickly, alongside a program that would help American workers and businesses adjust to the stresses that globalization create.