Latin America

• Wednesday, May 12th 2010 - 07:18 UTC

  Chile’s Piñera to Address Business Leaders Previous to Latam/EU Summit

  

  Chile’s president Sebastian Piñera has a busy schedule planned for the upcoming Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union Summit scheduled for Madrid early next week. Piñera will use the opportunity to explain exactly what he wants to do with his four years of presidency.

• Wednesday, May 12th 2010 - 00:06 UTC

  Chile Gained 1.2 Square Kilometres Following the Earthquake

  

  The Chilean territory expanded 1.2 square kilometres into the Pacific following the February earthquake that ravaged the centre and south of the country, according to Sergio Barrientos, head of the University of Chile Seismologic Institute.

• Wednesday, May 12th 2010 - 00:03 UTC

  Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay Angry with Oscar-Winning Director Bigelow Film Project

  

  Argentine Secretary of Tourism said Enrique Meyer said that Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay are angry with Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow's latest project, a film focusing on a border region, shared by the three countries and thought to be a centre for smuggling and terror financing.

• Tuesday, May 11th 2010 - 23:59 UTC

  Chile Denies “Arms Race”; Praises Homologation Process with Argentina

  

  Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Alfredo Moreno Charme said he does not see an “arms race” in the continent and suggested following the Argentine–Chilean experience of “homologating military expenditure”.

• Tuesday, May 11th 2010 - 16:37 UTC

  Dramatic Gap between Chile’s Public and Private Health Care Sectors

  

  An investigation by the World Bank and Chile’s Health Ministry confirmed large discrepancies between the public and private health sectors.

• Tuesday, May 11th 2010 - 16:36 UTC

  Violent Crime Replaces Unemployment as Main Concern in Latinamerica

  

  Latin America has “some of the highest criminality rates in the world” and for the first time in decades delinquency has replaced unemployment as the main concern of the population, according to a report from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released this week.

• Tuesday, May 11th 2010 - 00:33 UTC

  Former Allies but Later Staunch Critics of Chávez Sentenced to Years of Prison

  

  A former Venezuelan defence minister who has become a staunch critic of President Hugo Chávez was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for alleged misappropriation of funds in connection with the purchase of military equipment.

• Monday, May 10th 2010 - 18:38 UTC

  Chile Embroiled in Whaling Conservation Controversy

  

  Chilean Foreign Minister, Alfredo Moreno, said that Chile will maintain a position “in favour of conservation and against whaling,” and that Chilean Ambassador Cristián Maquieira, though he now chairs the International Whaling Commission, “is not the person who represents Chile” in this forum.

• Monday, May 10th 2010 - 03:39 UTC

  UNASUR Agrees to Boost Defense Expenditure Transparency

  

  The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) agreed over the week end to boost defence expending transparency to ensure regional stability which, according to Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador is threatened by a controversial military agreement between United States and Colombia.

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 06:39 UTC

  Spanish Recession and Lack of Jobs Forces Latam Immigrants to Return Home

  

  More immigrants from non-European Union countries are returning to their native lands this year with help from the Spanish government, a situation similar to 2009, when the number of immigrants forced to pack up and go doubled because of the economic crisis.