Politics

Tuesday, October 9th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Bachelet opens Latam-European social forum in Chile

President Michelle Bachelet opened the 8th annual Biarritz Forum Monday with a speech urging unity across Chile's social and political sectors. The President welcomed business leaders and government officials from across Latin America and Europe to the annual conference, held this year at the Casa de Piedra in Santiago's Vitacura borough.
Tuesday, October 9th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Argentine Dirty War priest sentenced to life imprisonment

A court in Argentina on Tuesday sentenced a former Roman Catholic police chaplain to life imprisonment for collaborating in murders during the country's military dictatorship. Christian Von Wernich, 69, was convicted for involvement in seven murders, 42 abductions and 31 cases of torture during the 1976-83 “Dirty War”.
Monday, October 8th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Costa Rica 'supports' controversial US trade deal

Costa Rica's president Oscar Arias declared victory Sunday in his drive to join a free trade deal with the United States, announcing on television that voters had backed it in a referendum.
Monday, October 8th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Lagos denies “persecution” of Pinochets

Chilean government spokesperson Ricardo Lagos Webber denied Sunday allegations that the government was deliberately persecuting Augusto Pinochet's widow and five children. His remarks come after Pinochet's eldest daugherÃÂ¢€“who, along with her four siblings, was released on bail FridayÃÂ¢€”charged that the family had been held in the so-called Riggs Bank case as “political prisoners.”
Monday, October 8th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
“Che” Guevara remembered 40 years after death

It's been 40 years since the militant revolutionary was executed in a Bolivian schoolhouse. To leftist governments across Latin America, he's still a beloved icon. It was a long fight, but the Cubans have finally conquered this forlorn Andean hamlet, four decades after Ernesto “Che” Guevara was executed in the adobe schoolhouse.
Monday, October 8th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
New round of US influence lobbying in South America

United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez arrived Monday in Uruguay as part of a regional visit that also includes Brazil, with the purpose of further promoting greater bilateral trade, economic growth and greater commercial cooperation.
Monday, October 8th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Gibraltar to address UN Decolonization special session

The United Nations Fourth Committee, the Special Political and Decolonization, meets this Monday for an opening session under the Chairmanship of Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad from Sudan.
Monday, October 8th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Gibraltar votes on Thursday under new 2006 constitution

On October 11th Gibraltar goes to the polls to elect a new Government. Under the new 2006 constitution there will be an increase in the number of votes per person to ten from the previous eight, with the two major parties, the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) and the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) with the newer Progressive Democracy Party (PDP) fielding six and two independent candidates on offer.
Sunday, October 7th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Argentine presidential candidate cancels Chile visit

Cristina Kirchner, wife of the current President of Argentina and herself senator and presidential candidate, has cancelled a previous scheduled trip to Santiago.
Saturday, October 6th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
Twenty years of Falklands' presence in UK Party Conferences

Falklands elected Councillors Ian Hansen and Mike Rendell have been pressing the flesh with British politicians at the Labour and Conservative party conferences.