Latin America

• Monday, February 27th 2012 - 04:52 UTC

  Colombia’s FARC promises to release hostages and end economic kidnapping

  

  Colombia's feared FARC rebel group said it would abandon its decades-long policy of economic kidnapping and free all military and police hostages it holds in jungle camps, another sign the drug-funded Marxist inspired insurgents may want peace.

• Monday, February 27th 2012 - 04:33 UTC

  Tragedy in Antarctica: “much improvisation” and “a great lesson for Chile”

  

  The tragedy in the Antarctic King George Island involving the Brazilian base should be “a great lesson for Chile” and is evidence that research scientists and military personnel coexist in Antarctica under “improvised conditions”.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2012 - 06:33 UTC

  Argentine group insists with Falklands’ self determination and sharing natural resources

  

  A group of Argentine intellectuals, academics and free-thinkers have criticized President Cristina Fernandez government strategy of confronting the UK on the Malvinas Islands sovereignty dispute and called for dialogue that guarantees the self determination of the Falkland Islanders.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2012 - 05:19 UTC

  Spanish corporations freeze investment in Latam fearing the global crisis

  

  Spain’s main corporations are freezing investments in Latinamerica this year with no chances of an increase given the risk of the global financial crisis hitting negatively in the region, particularly Brazil and Mexico.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2012 - 04:25 UTC

  Doubts about Chavez true health condition re-surface as he leaves for surgery in Cuba

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez imminent departure for more cancer surgery in Cuba has thrown his re-election campaign into uncertainty and once again shaken the populist leader's passionate supporters.

• Thursday, February 23rd 2012 - 04:13 UTC

  LAN slashes Chile-South America fares to promote tourism and air travel

  

  Chile’s flag-carrier LAN announced that as of Wednesday it will cut Chile-South America fares as much as 40%. For years LAN has used what is known as the low-cost carrier model on its domestic flights, which has greatly reduced fares on its domestic flights and increased traffic.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 - 17:33 UTC

  Brazil and Uruguay with the most expensive per capita Legislative branch

  

  Uruguay has the second most expensive per capita Legislative branch and also as a percentage of the government’s overall expenditure, although Uruguayan lawmakers earn half their best paid neighbours in Brazil, according to reports in the Montevideo press.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 - 04:09 UTC

  Spain’s Ibero-America cooperation secretary arrives in Buenos Aires

  

  Spain’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Ibero-America Jesus Gracia begins Wednesday in Argentina his first trip to South America with the purpose of reviewing bilateral relations and reporting on the preparations for the coming Ibero-American summit to be held in Cadiz.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 - 01:15 UTC

  Double medical check for MSC Armonia passengers and crew in Montevideo

  

  Passengers and crew from the Italian cruise vessel MSC Armonia had to undergo a medical check-up when they docked in Montevideo Tuesday morning following the death of a member of the crew who is believed to have caught a type of flu virus.

• Wednesday, February 22nd 2012 - 00:05 UTC

  Mines swept by heavy rainfall forces closure of Chile/Peru border passage

  

  A main border pass between Chile and Peru remains closed to all traffic because recent heavy rainfall and flooding have swept antipersonnel and anti-tank mines in the region, in some cases all the way to the Pacific, where beaches have been put out of limits.