Stories for September 2010

Friday, September 24th 2010 - 07:07 UTC
Venezuela’s Communes: Not as Radical as You Might Think

by COHA Research Associate Geoff LeGrand - Under President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has been no stranger to controversy. However, one of Chávez’s proposals has evoked particularly strong emotions – the establishment of socialist communes (comunas socialistas) throughout the country. The proposed commune law (ley orgánica de las comunas) would further expand and institutionalize Venezuela’s system of communal councils – local municipal governing bodies that are ruled by neighborhood leaders using state funds to finance social projects in their communities.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 05:49 UTC
Falklands, Iran, Palestine, issues of Mrs Kirchner address to UN assembly

Renewed Falkland Islands claim, reformulation of international organisms, Iran and Palestine are among the issues that Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will be addressing in her speech before the UN 65th General Assembly on Friday, according to Argentine diplomatic sources.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 05:12 UTC
Uruguay marks distance from Argentina: UK does not come to plunder resources

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica marked distance from Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner and said that denying clearance to a Falkland Islands bound British destroyer to call in Montevideo was based on previous decisions on the issue and “not in a defence of interests against the UK”, reports the local daily Ultima Noticias.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 03:15 UTC
Research lab in extreme south Chile “cautious” about recovery of the ozone layer

Last September 17 and for two days the ozone layer hole recorded a minor event over the city of Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile, although not sufficiently weak as to have recorded an increase in potentially dangerous ultraviolet radiation.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 03:08 UTC
Argentine Patagonia fossil reveals the origin of sunflower

Sunflowers are likely to have sprung up about 50 million years ago in Argentine Patagonia, suggests a fossil report according to an article in the current edition of Science magazine.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 02:49 UTC
In two years Argentina’s cattle herd lost 15% and is down to 49 million

Argentines have lost their title as the world’s biggest beef eaters after the worst drought in 70 years and government export limits to contain domestic prices led ranchers to reduce the number of cattle on the Pampas. Exports have also fallen drastically.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 02:46 UTC
Top journalism awards for Mexican photographer and Argentine reporter

A Mexican photographer who documented his country's drug war and an Argentine reporter who wrote about identifying the victims of Argentina's military dictatorship were awarded this week one of Latin America's most prestigious journalism awards.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 02:44 UTC
Mrs. Kirchner confirms controversial economist as central bank president

The Argentine government confirmed Mercedes Marco del Pont as president of the Central bank. She supported and executed the controversial use of international reserves to pay sovereign debt, an issue which forced the ousting of her predecessor in the post, respected banker Martin Perez Redrado.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 01:19 UTC
Colombian forces kill FARC top military commander and capture main camp

The number two leader of the Colombian FARC guerrilla group has been killed in a military raid, President Juan Manuel Santos said Thursday. Victor Julio Suarez Rojas, also known as Jorge Briceño Suarez and by his nom de guerre Mono Jojoy, was the military leader for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Santos called the rebel leader's death a “historic” event.
Friday, September 24th 2010 - 01:18 UTC
Airlines recovery surprises and boosts profits but 2011 is forecasted as ‘austere’

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revised its 2010 industry outlook and is now projecting a profit of 8.9 billion US dollars (up from the 2.5 billion forecast in June), with Asia and Latinamerica leading. However, in its first look into 2011, IATA estimates that profitability will drop to 5.3 billion.