Chile

• Thursday, February 19th 2015 - 05:51 UTC

  Chilean lawmakers ask Pope to reverse bishop appointment due to sexual abuse allegations

  

  Fifty-one members of the Chilean Parliament have signed a letter asking Pope Francis to reverse the appointment of the Bishop of Osorno, Juan Barros, due to allegations of covering up sexual abuse.

• Tuesday, February 17th 2015 - 05:49 UTC

  Chilean city delegation visits UK to explore energy efficiency and new technologies

  

  A Chilean delegation representing the city of Antofagasta visited the UK to explore energy efficiency best practices and new technologies. The visit was an essential component of the “Action Plan for the city of Antofagasta´s Sustainable Energy Strategy” project that the British Embassy Santiago is currently supporting through the Prosperity Fund.

• Saturday, February 14th 2015 - 06:41 UTC

  Chilean president's son resigns amid questions about family business

  

  Chilean President Michelle Bachelet's son resigned Friday from an unpaid post in her administration amid questions about his wife's business affairs.

• Friday, February 13th 2015 - 13:56 UTC

  A canine brigade in Punta Arenas helps to speed the landing of 4.000 visitors

  

  How do you manage to make the mandatory phyto-sanitary controls when 4.000 visitors come ashore on the same day virtually at the same time, and the port is not a major terminal. Particularly when the country is a main producer of fruit and other agriculture goods and must act with the utmost jealousy to ensure its privileged position as a world leading exporter.

• Thursday, February 12th 2015 - 06:18 UTC

  Bachelet under fire because of her son's privileged access to funding for real estate speculation

  

  Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is coming under fire with complaints her family got privileged access to a bank loan for a land deal. Chile’s Que Pasa magazine reported that a company half-owned by Bachelet’s daughter-in-law, Natalia Compagnon, received a 10 million dollars loan from Banco de Chile during the 2013 presidential campaign.

• Friday, February 6th 2015 - 01:46 UTC

  Falklands want to be good neighbors and have closer links with Latin America

  

  The Falkland Islands and its people want to be 'good neighbors, have trade links, cooperation agreements and closer relations with the southern cone of South America, but 'without losing our identity', said Falklands lawmakers to Punta Arenas Prensa Austral that was present at the celebrations last Saturday for the 250th anniversary of the first flying of the Union Flag in the Islands marking the beginning of British rule.

• Thursday, February 5th 2015 - 03:26 UTC

  Uruguay with Pope's blessing to try new approach to human rights and disappeared persons issues

  

  Uruguay will be attempting a new approach to the human rights and disappeared persons issues, a still unfinished legacy from the military dictatorship, (1973/1984) and the decade of armed sedition which preceded the collapse of the country's democracy. The announcement is expected later this month and basically means replacing “truth and justice” for “truth and memory”, following to a certain extent the South African experience.

• Wednesday, February 4th 2015 - 09:23 UTC

  UK universities representative visits Chile to foster closer relations

  

  University of Kent Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow visited Chile from 1 to 3 February 2015. Dame Julia, who is also the incoming President of Universities UK, the body representing all UK Universities, had discussions with senior Chilean officials, including the Deputy Minister of Education, Valentina Quiroga.

• Monday, February 2nd 2015 - 03:46 UTC

  “Good cruise season” for Punta Arenas with some 60.000 visitors

  

  Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is expecting some 60.000 visitors this cruise season (2014/15) according to estimates from the local port authority Empresa Portuaria Austral, EPA, which is considered a 'good season' and an improvement over previous years.

• Thursday, January 29th 2015 - 07:03 UTC

  Chilean Senate approves civil union of homosexual couples

  

  The Chilean Senate has passed the Civil Union Agreement (AUC) bill, which legalizes the civil union between homosexual couples, making Chile the seventh country in South America to establish such unions.