Latin America

• Tuesday, February 27th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Ecuador to repair roads system with funds to repay creditors

  

  Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa declared Tuesday a national roads system emergency and ordered the Army to begin the construction and maintenance of the country's road network to be financed with funds originally destined to honor foreign debt payments.

• Tuesday, February 27th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  CIA believes Raul Castro is consolidating as Fidel's successor

  

  The United States government said Tuesday that Raul Castro has consolidated as successor of his brother since last July and admitted that in the event of Fidel's death there will not be an
  immediate “positive change”.

• Monday, February 26th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez preparing for conflict with US plans to buy 9 subs

  Venezuela is currently negotiating with European and Russian companies the purchase of nine submarines valued in three billion US dollars for the event of “an attack from United States”, report several South American newspapers.

• Monday, February 26th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile faces rich world evils: 25% of population is obese

  Obesity and related pathologies like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart attacks cost the Chilean treasury an estimated 300 million US dollars which is equivalent to a significant percentage of the country's overall public health budget.

• Monday, February 26th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez “can scare away” investors from South America

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez can scare away investors in South America, who may prefer to invest in other regions, US Ambassador to Brazil, Clifford Sobel, told to Exame magazine 10 days before the arrival of US President George W. Bush to Sao Paulo.

• Friday, February 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Impact of corn prices boom on other farming activities

  

  Corn grain prices have reached a historical level of 123 Chilean pesos, approximately 25 US cents per kilogram, a 73% rise from 2006 figures. This significant leap is a result of the growing ethanol production in the U.S. for which the cereal is essential.

• Friday, February 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Anthrax outbreak in extreme Southern Chile village

  

  Chile's acting Agriculture minister Cecilia Leiva said on Friday health authorities are working “to minimize the risks” of an outbreak of anthrax in a small village of farmers and fishermen in the extreme south of the country.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Menchu to run for president in Guatemala

  

  Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu on Wednesday announced that she will run for the presidency of Guatemala in the country's September elections, a move likely fuel talk about an Indian resurgence in Latin American politics.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  LAN becomes majority holder of Argentine affiliate

  

  Chile's flag carrier LAN airlines increased the share of its Argentine affiliate to 70%, following 2006 reforms to the Argentine Aeronautical code authorizing foreigners to have a majority stake in commercial airlines, reports the Buenos Aires press.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela offers financial support to Ecuador

  

  Venezuela has set aside 500 million US dollars for cooperation with Ecuador although how the financing would be extended has still not been decided, said Thursday Venezuelan Finance minister Rodrigo Cabezas.