A group of experts from Norway begins on Monday demining tasks along the Chile-Peru border which are expected to last for at least two months, according to a release from the Chilean Foreign Ministry.
Two student leaders who have been at the head of the 18 months long demonstrations in Chile demanding an overhaul of the education system will be honoured this week with the 2012 Letelier-Moffit Human Rights Prize in representation of the Chilean Students Federation.
Demonstrations of thousands of students that turned out to the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities to demand better education, ended in violent clashes with riot police which had to appeal to tear gas, water cannons and paint guns to later identify protestors, tens of which were later detained.
Paraguay is involved in low key negotiations with the region to find a way for the quick return of the country to Unasur and Mercosur, and Chile and Colombia are playing crucial roles in such discussions, according to media reports from Asuncion.
Canada’s Methanex Corporation announced on Thursday that because of severe restrictions in the provision of natural gas to its plant in the extreme south of Chile, Punta Arenas, Magallanes Region, the company is forced to another re-structuring which will leave 48 people redundant.
The influential business newspaper Financial Times dedicated a special edition to the Chilean economic and social situation and concludes that given the massive demonstrations against energy projects and in favour of education reform, “doing business” in the country has become difficult plus there is growing disappointment in the middle class.
Chile revoked the concession awarded to Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile to exploit substantial reserves of lithium in the Andes region, acknowledging problems with the tender process.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñra unveiled an education-heavy 2013 budget bill on Sunday, as he seeks to improve the conservatives’ credentials before municipal elections in October and next year's presidential election.
As of next 6 November Chile’s port cities will display their best since on that date the official 2012/13 cruise season begins which extends until mid April and the country has great expectations of recovering a leading position in the region.
Chilean fruit exports to China have experienced a great increase in recent years having jumped 35% in 2011 (over 2010), with a value of 438 million dollars, according to statistics provided to the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, which place Chile as one of the main fruit providers from the southern hemisphere.