
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Brazil’s state-run oil firm Petrobras said it has concluded the sale of its 67.2% stake in Petrobras Argentina to Argentina’s Pampa Energía for US$ 892 million, according to a securities filing. Petrobras also sold all of Petrobras Chile Distribución to Southern Cross Group for about US$ 490 million as part of its divestment program, the company said.

Victims of a secretive German colony in Chile hope that Germany's decision to declassify documents will help shine light on human rights abuses committed there. For three decades beginning in 1961, the enclave of Colonia Dignidad, or Dignity Colony, was the site of torture, slavery and child abuse.

Chile's jobless rate rose more than expected in the first quarter as two years of sluggish growth finally caught up with the labor market, signaling stronger headwinds for South America's wealthiest economy.

Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile has an unemployment rate of 3.1% during the first quarter of the year, which represents a 0.1 percentage point increase over the same period a year ago, according to the latest stats.