Latin America

Thursday, December 29th 2011 - 21:50 UTC
Dilma in her first year is proving to be an Iron Lady loved by the middle class

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff will be celebrating on Sunday her first of four years in office with a record public opinion support of 72%, based on a sober and firm style in running what has become the world’s sixth largest economy.
Thursday, December 29th 2011 - 21:44 UTC
Iran’s Ahmadinejad will visit four Latinamerican countries next January

The Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad will be travelling to Latinamerica in the second week of January 2012 to visit Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador, announced the Teheran presidential office, according to a report from the official news agency FNA.
Thursday, December 29th 2011 - 21:24 UTC
Falklands’ flagged vessels: “Another diplomatic victory for President Fernández”

In its latest article on Argentina The Economist refers to the recent Mercosur decision to support President Cristina Fernandez in barring vessels flying the Falklands’ flag from docking in regional ports.
The magazine as the heading says (Argentina and the Falklands: rocking the boat) describes it as another diplomatic victory for Cristina and also argues that both the Falkland Islands and Britain have failed to explain their case to the rest of South America.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 22:31 UTC
Piñera and CFK agree to reprogram the Argentine leaders’ official visit to Chile

Chilean president Sebastián Piñera and his Argentine peer Cristina Fernandez agreed to reprogram her visit to Santiago scheduled for the last week of January following the announcement that the Argentine leader will undergo thyroid cancer surgery next January 4.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 07:25 UTC
Chile wants to pool young voters: registry automatic but voting voluntary

The Chilean Senate passed a constitutional law that makes voting voluntary and registration automatic, incorporating millions of new voters into the system and removing penalties previously tied to obligatory voting.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:58 UTC
Mexican telecoms giant planning to invest 5.4bn dollars in Brazil

The Brazilian subsidiaries of Mexican telecoms giant America Movil are planning 10 billion Reais (5.4 billion dollars) worth of new investment in 2012, Folha de São Paulo said on Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:31 UTC
Madrid has first woman mayor; promises to bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Ana Botella, the wife of former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, was sworn-in Tuesday as Madrid’s first woman mayor. She succeeds Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, mayor of the capital since 2003, who resigned to serve as Justice Minister in the new Conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:30 UTC
UK ambassador in Chile “concerned” with “economic blockade” on the Falklands

The British Ambassador to Chile, Jon Benjamin, expressed on Tuesday UK’s “concern” over “countries that have joined” the Mercosur bloc in their decision to support Argentina, by putting in place a ban on ships flying the Malvinas Islands’ flag from docking at their ports.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:29 UTC
Chile signs strategic science and education agreement with Massachusetts

The Chilean government has signed a strategic bilateral agreement with the state of Massachusetts, opening the way for collaborative research in the key areas of education, energy and biotechnology.
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 - 03:28 UTC
Chilean students end some school occupations but pledge to continue protests

Students have voted to end occupations at two of the most symbolic institutes of Chile’s public education system, but have vowed to continue demonstrations after months of protests have failed to achieve significant reforms to the country highly privatized, class based education system.