Chile

• 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.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2015 - 07:47 UTC

  Relief for Bachelet: Chilean Congress passes ambitious education reform

  

  Chile's President Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday her government was preparing the second phase of an ambitious education reform, hours after Congress approved the first set of changes.

• Friday, January 16th 2015 - 05:15 UTC

  Chile votes to eliminate the Pinochet electoral system, 25 years later

  

  Chile's Senate has voted to end a dictatorship-era electoral system that has squeezed out independent candidates and guaranteed an outsized presence in Congress for the centre-right and conservative blocs.

• Wednesday, January 14th 2015 - 06:27 UTC

  Following Falklands' incident Argentine company buys local operations of Japan's Nissui

  

  Newsan, an Argentine firm involved in electronics but also in seafood supply, has reportedly acquired Argentine operations of Japan’s second largest seafood company, Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui). The operation follows an incident involving alleged fishing of the Japanese company in the South Atlantic both in Argentina and Falklands' waters.

• Thursday, January 8th 2015 - 01:13 UTC

  Falklands contribution to the development of sheep farming in Magallanes

  

  The close historic and farming links between the Falkland Islands and the Magallanes Region, were underlined in a recent article by Punta Arenas researcher Silvestre Fugellie dedicated to sheep farming, the 'golden fleece' that changed the economy of those barren lands in the extreme south of Chile over a century ago.