
Inter-American Court of Human Rights told Peru on Monday to annul a ruling by its Supreme Court that could have paved the way for an early release of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori.

Chilean fire-fighters formed a guard of honour at a south Wales church as a historic bell was handed over at a ceremony. The bell was one of several removed and taken to Wales after being salvaged from a 19th Century fire which killed 2,500 people at a church in Chile.

The world leading lithium producer SQM has won a tender to develop a lithium concession in Chile, which produces around 40% of the metal, used widely in hybrid vehicles and computer and smart-phone batteries, the Mining Ministry said on Monday.

Four Uruguayan marines have been charged on suspicion that they abused a young man while serving as United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti. The four men were charged with private violence against 18-year-old Johnny Jean, who says he was raped last year.

Paraguayan president Federico Franco and Spain’s Mariano Rajoy are scheduled to meet on Tuesday at the United Nations building to talk about bilateral issues and the coming Ibero-American summit in Cadiz, next November 16/17 which has become a highly controversial issue.

Ecuador’s Rafael Correa and El Salvador Mauricio Funes have the highest approval ratings with 80% and 72% among presidents of the Americas, according to a report from Consulta Mitofsky. At the other extreme stand Sebastian Piñera from Chile, Laura Chinchilla from Costa Rica and Paraguayan Federico Franco with the lowest support.

Paraguay plans to publicly denounce before the United Nations General Assembly that Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur is illegal and so is the temporary suspension imposed on the country by the trade block, anticipated President Federico Franco.

Chilean Under Secretary for Tourism Jacqueline Plass said that in the first eight months of the year the number of arriving international tourists increased 16%, while August became the arrivals record month since 1988.

Peruvian president Ollanta Humala said that the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, is far more dynamic that the Organization of American States, OAS, and sets the pace for resolving conflicts in the region.

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff arrived Sunday in New York and on Tuesday, as is traditional, will open the round of speeches at the annual UN General Assembly and will later meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and president of the Assembly Vuk Jeremic from Serbia.