Latin America

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 06:30 UTC

  Peru’s Congress suspends land laws that triggered violent clashes

  

  Peru's Congress voted on Wednesday to temporarily suspend two land laws that ignited violent clashes between protesting indigenous groups and security forces last week killing at least 60 and claims of missing protestors.

• Wednesday, June 10th 2009 - 07:46 UTC

  Peruvian minister resigns over killings in clashes with Indians

  

  Carmen Vildoso, Peru's Minister of Woman's Affairs and Social Development, submitted her resignation from the cabinet late Monday on discrepancies over how the government managed the unrest of indigenous peoples in northern Peru that left at least sixty dead and dozens wounded.

• Tuesday, June 9th 2009 - 12:56 UTC

  Leader of Peruvian Indian protests takes refuge in Nicaraguan embassy

  

  The wanted leader of protesting the Peruvian Amazon region Indians has been granted diplomatic asylum at the Nicaraguan embassy and is waiting for a safe conduct announced Monday Prime Minister Yehude Simon in a presentation to members of Congress.

• Tuesday, June 9th 2009 - 09:29 UTC

  Insulza trusts dialogue will lift embargo and bring Cuba back to OAS

  

  The head of the Organization of American States, OAS said he was hopeful that with the revoke of sanctions to Cuba, the US embargo would eventually be lifted and Havana would rejoin the 34-member organization, but much dialogue would be required.

• Tuesday, June 9th 2009 - 09:25 UTC

  It’s official: Cuba thanks sanctions’ revoke but says No to OAS

  

  Cuba has formally rejected re-joining the Organization of American States, days after the group revoked Cuba's expulsion from the OAS nearly 50 years ago. Cuba's official media published a government statement Monday saying Cuba's values are incompatible with what it described as the group's neo-liberal values of capitalism and self-promotion.

• Monday, June 8th 2009 - 13:51 UTC

  Hamburg-Sud largest container vessel tested Montevideo port’s efficiency

  

  Hamburg Sud “Rio de la Plata”, the first of a newbuilding series of six identical vessels with a slot capacity of 5.900 containers (and 1.365 reefer container plugs) called last month in Montevideo.

• Monday, June 8th 2009 - 13:43 UTC

  Lawmakers’ abuses not limited to UK shows Chilean television program

  

  Last week Chileans watched in disbelief a news report that showed their national deputies hard at work in Congress: fiddling around on their cell phones, spending time on Web sites like Facebook, or keeping up with the horse races.

• Monday, June 8th 2009 - 13:28 UTC

  Peruvian Amazon indigenous call for dialogue; Army patrols area

  

  Peruvian Amazon indigenous groups that fought government security forces with spears, rocks and home made guns during two days with a toll of over sixty killed and dozens missing said they are prepared to dialogue about the controversial laws which opened the region to logging, oil and minerals exploration and triggered the rebellion.

• Monday, June 8th 2009 - 12:59 UTC

  Spain committed to resumption of EU/Mercosur free trade talks

  

  Spain’s Secretary of State for Ibero-America Juan Pablo de Laigleisa begins Monday in Buenos Aires a visit to three Mercosur country members in preparation for when Madrid takes over the presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2010.

• Monday, June 8th 2009 - 10:14 UTC

  Possible first case of influenza A/H1N1 in Punta Arenas

  

  A possible first case of influenza A/H1N1 has been detected in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, according to local sanitary authorities. The 24 year old man reacted positive to an indirect immune-fluorescence (IFI) test which identifies the A human influenza virus but further tests are needed to determine if it is the H1N1 variant that is spreading worldwide.