Chile

• Saturday, May 28th 2016 - 08:04 UTC

  Operation Condor condemns Argentine ex dictator and 14 top military officers

  

  Former Argentine dictator Reynaldo Bignone and 14 other ex-military officials were found guilty by an Argentine court on Friday of conspiring to kidnap and assassinate leftist dissidents as part of the Operation Condor program. Bignone, 88, the highest ranking figure on trial, was sentenced to 20 years in jail. Fourteen of the remaining 16 defendants got eight to 25 years behind bars. Two were found not guilty.

• Saturday, May 28th 2016 - 06:50 UTC

  Magallanes region expanded 6.3% in the first quarter boosted by fisheries and construction

  

  Magallanes region in the extreme south of Chile reported an economic activity of 6.3% during the first quarter of the year, according to the country's stats office, INE, only behind Atacama, 8.9% and Maule, 7.2%.

• Friday, May 27th 2016 - 06:56 UTC

  Chilean students back in the streets 'tired of waiting' for the education reform

  

  Hooded protesters pelted stones at police who fired tear gas and water cannons in the Chilean capital Thursday, as thousands of students staged fresh street rallies demanding free university education. Students rallied in the center of Santiago, where security forces tried to block their path.

• Monday, May 23rd 2016 - 09:25 UTC

  British Airways direct flights Santiago/London from next January

  

  British Airways is launching the only direct flight between London and Santiago in Chile from January 3, 2017. Santiago will become the airline’s lengthiest long-haul route, taking 14 hours 40 minutes, nearly an hour more than the current longest flight of 13 hours 50 minutes service to Buenos Aires.

• Monday, May 23rd 2016 - 06:02 UTC

  Violent protests when Chilean president presented state of the nation report

  

  Violent protests broke out in Chile on Saturday as President Michelle Bachelet presented a state-of-the-nation report to Congress. One man died of asphyxiation after masked demonstrators burned a pharmacy and a supermarket in downtown Valparaiso, which is where Chile’s congress meets.

• Saturday, May 21st 2016 - 08:07 UTC

  Argentina, Chile and Uruguay appeal for an urgent political dialogue in Venezuela

  

  Argentina, Chile and Uruguay in a joint statement released on Friday, called for political dialogue in Venezuela and offered to help with a “national reunion” of the political and social forces of the country. The appeal, with utmost respect for the principle of non interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela, was made extensive to the government, the National Assembly, under opposition control, and all political and social groups.

• Wednesday, May 18th 2016 - 10:54 UTC

  Chile celebrates best cruise season in seven years

  

  Chile reports that this last cruise season (October 2015/April 2016), has been the best in seven years, according to the Southern Cone Ports Corporation, with a 47% increase in the number of vessel calls and 43% in landed passengers, compared to 2014/2015.

• Monday, May 16th 2016 - 06:57 UTC

  Chile set clocks back sixty minutes on Sunday to winter time

  

  As of midnight Sunday, May 15, Chile implemented winter time to save energy, which means clocks had to be put back a full sixty minutes. The measure is adopted every year following on a resolution from the Ministry of Energy and will be effective until 13 August.

• Saturday, May 14th 2016 - 08:34 UTC

  Sixth consecutive Chile Day in London; Bachelet/Cameron discuss closer political and cooperation links

  

  The UK was proud to host the sixth consecutive Chile Day in London, as a major international showcase for Chile’s financial market. The event is attended by business leaders from both Chile and the UK, and this year President Bachelet made a very special appearance during her two-day visit including meeting PM David Cameron at 10 Downing Street.

• Monday, May 9th 2016 - 11:04 UTC

  Former first lady of East Germany, nicknamed the Purple Witch, dies in Chile

  

  A small funeral was held in Chile Saturday for Margot Honecker, the widow of former East German leader Erich Honecker. A steely politician in her own right, the 89-year-old died of cancer in the capital Santiago on Friday.