Latin America

Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 21:13 UTC
Punta Arenas on strike over a planned 20% gas price hike

The southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas had its largest strike in decades Wednesday in response to a government proposal to increase the price of gas in the region by 20%.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 21:08 UTC
Second contraction year for Venezuela; 2% expansion forecasted in 2011

Venezuela’s economy contracted 1.9% 2010, marking a second year of recession according to a release from the Central Bank. The economy shrank 3.3% in 2009, but President Hugo Chavez's government said the country is now pulling out of recession and on course for 2% growth in 2011.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 20:58 UTC
Slow Start To Chile’s Tourism Season; fewer Argentines than expected

With its vast array of natural attractions and top-class services, Chile is an attractive tourism destination for Latin Americans, as well as global visitors.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 20:52 UTC
Chile supports Israel-Palestine peace dialogue; Piñera to visit the area next March

The Chilean presidency Secretary General Eva Von Baer reterated this week that the Chilean Executive “fully supports the dialogue between both sides, the state of Israel and Palestine, and we support the continuation of such dialogue, and from that dialogue the creation of an independent Palestine state”.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 20:48 UTC
Brazil enforces new reserve requirements to weaken the Real vis-à-vis US dollar

The Brazilian currency Real weakened after the central bank introduced reserve requirements on short positions in U.S. dollars held by local banks with the purpose of weakening the Real which this week reached a historic high against the greenback.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 20:16 UTC
Chile’s measures to weaken the Peso are working in the short term

Chile's peso was operating Thursday at 495 to the US dollar after depreciating around 6% in two sessions on a 12 billion US dollars central bank intervention program announced this week.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 13:36 UTC
US embassy Wikileak questions Chilean president Piñera’s business practices

United States Ambassador to Chile Alejandro D. Wolff apologized to Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera for Wikileak revelations that showed U.S. officials questioning the past businessman practices of Piñera during last year’s presidential runoff race between the Conservative coalition candidate and Senator Eduardo Frei, of the center-left Concertacion coalition
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 13:10 UTC
Woman mayor takes office in Lima, Peru’s most populated city

Susana Villaran took office this week as the first popularly elected female mayor of Lima, in a ceremony attended by Peruvian President Alan Garcia and former U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 12:56 UTC
Cuban trade unions “guarantors” of the elimination of 500.000 state jobs

Layoffs planned to eliminate some 500,000 state jobs in Cuba this year got underway this week, according to the island’s only legal workers’ organization. The official weekly Trabajadores cited a speech by CTC chief Salvador Valdes in the eastern province of Holguin, in which he said it was the union’s responsibility to “be the guarantor” of the process of labour reorganization.
Thursday, January 6th 2011 - 12:46 UTC
Bolivia back steps and offers new deal to attract foreign oil companies

President Evo Morales’ government has offered to reimburse 100% of the cost of successful exploratory drilling in Bolivia by private oil and natural gas companies, state-owned energy company YPFB announced this week.