Latin America

• Saturday, June 1st 2013 - 02:39 UTC

  OAS warns about ‘distinct categories of citizens’ in terms of access and quality to basic services

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS), Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, highlighted the “important progress” made in the region’s democratization in recent decades, but also warned about worrying “risks of deconstruction” which are creating ‘distinct categories of citizens’ particularly in terms of access and quality to basic services such as education, health and security.

• Saturday, June 1st 2013 - 02:33 UTC

  “All we want is for things to go well for Venezuela”, Santos replies to Maduro

  

  Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos on Friday dismissed as “preposterous” Venezuelan charges that his government is backing a conspiracy to destabilize the leftist-ruled neighbor.

• Saturday, June 1st 2013 - 02:29 UTC

  Gibraltar claims C24 is ‘failing miserably’ in its task of decolonising territories

  

  Gibraltar veteran Minister Joe Bossano launched a scathing attack on to the record of the UN Committee of Decolonization or C24 claiming it is consistently falling to do the work it is tasked with: decolonising the territories on its list.

• Friday, May 31st 2013 - 19:05 UTC

  Tobacco is the deadliest global pandemic, says former Uruguayan president Vazquez

  

  Calling tobacco use the deadliest global pandemic ever, Uruguay’s former President Tabaré Vázquez urged decision makers to step up efforts to curb smoking in Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Friday, May 31st 2013 - 07:27 UTC

  Venezuela threatens Colombia after Santos meets opposition leader Capriles

  

  Caracas is furious over a Wednesday meeting between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua told state television the meeting “will bring a derailment of the good relations that we have” while Parliament Speaker Diosdado Cabello compared the meeting to “placing a bomb on the train.”

• Friday, May 31st 2013 - 06:57 UTC

  Royal College of Defence Studies’ members visit Chile as part of Latam tour

  

  Fifteen members of the Royal College of Defense Studies (RCDS) visited Chile in mid-May as part of their study tour to Latin America. The visitors came from the UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, India, Netherlands, Uganda, Turkey and Estonia.

• Friday, May 31st 2013 - 02:23 UTC

  Falkland Islands: C24 must go to the territories and respect their basic human right to choose their own form of government

  

  The Falkland Islands are only asking the international community to support the fundamental human right of Falkland Islanders to choose their own form of government, to exercise their right to self determination, said lawmaker Mike Summers during his presentation at the United Nations Decolonization Committee (24) Caribbean regional seminar, in reference to the recent referendum held in the Islands, whose sovereignty is disputed by the UK and Argentina.

• Friday, May 31st 2013 - 01:28 UTC

  Call for urgent total ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in the Americas

  

  On World No Tobacco Day, May 31, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is calling on countries throughout the Americas to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Such bans are one of the most effective ways to reduce consumption of tobacco, which kills some 1 million people every year in this hemisphere.

• Thursday, May 30th 2013 - 02:29 UTC

  Insulza announced he will complete his term mandate as OAS head.

  

  The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, plans to finish his term as head of the organisation. In an interview with El Pais (Madrid), the Chilean socialist political veteran has said that he still has two more years as head of the OAS thus quelling rumours about his resignation.

• Thursday, May 30th 2013 - 00:10 UTC

  President Mujica to meet Pope Francis

  

  On Saturday June 1st the President of Uruguay, José Mujica, will meet Pope Francis. Mujica has been quoted as saying he does not believe in the Catholic Church but he “admires” it and that he hopes to open avenues of cooperation to advance on social issues in his country.