Latin America

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 09:40 UTC

  Repsol and BG group discover natural gas reserves in southern Bolivia

  

  President Evo Morales confirmed the discovery of new natural gas reserves at two adjacent fields in southern Bolivia that are managed by a consortium led by Spanish oil major Repsol. The Margarita and Huacaya fields are located in the Caipipendi block, in which Repsol and Britain's BG Group each has a 37.5% stake and Anglo-Argentine oil company Pan American Energy holds a 25% interest.

• Thursday, September 17th 2015 - 07:56 UTC

  Major offshore earthquake hits Chile; felt in Argentina, Peru and Brazil

  

  A major earthquake just offshore rattled Chileans, killing at least five people and shaking the earth so strongly the tremor was felt in Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and even Brazil. Authorities worked into the early hours on Thursday assessing damage in several coastal towns that saw flooding from small tsunami waves set off by the quake.

• Wednesday, September 16th 2015 - 09:09 UTC

  Guatemalan runoff on 25 October between a comedian and a former first lady

  

  Guatemalan officials confirmed Tuesday that comedian and surprise presidential frontrunner Jimmy Morales will face former first lady Sandra Torres in a run-off on October 25. The announcement capped a dramatic first-round vote rocked by the outgoing president's resignation and arrest on corruption charges, and a down-to-the-wire battle for the second spot in the run-off.

• Wednesday, September 16th 2015 - 08:57 UTC

  Guyana asks Google to remove Spanish names from Essequibo region which Venezuela claims

  

  Unasur (Union of South American Nations) member Guyana is asking Google to remove certain street names near its disputed shared border with Venezuela, Guyana's foreign minister announced. The names, in Spanish, seem to suggest they are part of Venezuela, Carl Greenidge said.

• Tuesday, September 15th 2015 - 09:58 UTC

  OAS supports holding first round of presidential election in Haiti on 25 October

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS) supports holding the first round of presidential elections in Haiti on the scheduled date of October 25, and for that reason, the Director of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO), Gerardo de Icaza, on Monday travelled to the Caribbean country.

• Saturday, September 12th 2015 - 10:26 UTC

  Cuba plans to release 3.522 prisoners ahead of Pope's visit this month

  

  State-run newspaper “Granma” reported that Cuba would release 3,522 prisoners three days ahead of the September 19-22 visit by Pope Francis. However Cuban officials, who officially deny that the country has political prisoners, said they would not release inmates convict of crimes against state security.

• Saturday, September 12th 2015 - 09:44 UTC

  Seventh meeting of Cristina Fernandez and Francis, this time in Cuba

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernández has formally accepted an invitation by her Cuban counterpart Raul Castro to attend a mass Pope Francis will deliver in the Plaza de La Revolucion in Havana on September 20.

• Friday, September 11th 2015 - 10:14 UTC

  Ecuador's Correa orders dissolution of freedom of expression organization

  

  Fundamedios, an Ecuadorian organization that defends freedom of expression, is now the one in need of defense, as it faces state-mandated closure. On Tuesday, September 8, its directors reported that they had received a letter from the National Communications Secretariat (Secom), which informed them of the beginning “of the dissolution process” against the institution.

• Friday, September 11th 2015 - 06:03 UTC

  Venezuelan opposition leader sentenced to 13 years in prison; Unasur statement expected Friday

  

  Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was convicted inciting violence and sentenced to 13 years in prison on Thursday for his leading role in the 2014 street protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro that spiralled into bloodshed, killing more than 40 people. A statement from Unasur (Union of South American Nations) is expected on Friday.

• Thursday, September 10th 2015 - 08:33 UTC

  Lula da Silva campaigns for Scioli and is full of praise for Cristina Fernandez and the 'K' model

  

  Brazil's popular but scandal-weary former leader Lula da Silva endorsed Argentina's ruling party presidential candidate on Wednesday, identifying Daniel Scioli's credentials with the political left, and hoping the current project “that began in 2003 is re-elected”. The former president was also full of praise for president Cristina Fernandez.