Latin America

• 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.

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 06:12 UTC

  Long Experienced Politician Takes Office as Costa Rica’s First Woman President

  

  Laura Chinchilla becomes Costa Rica's first female president on Saturday, taking over at a challenging time in one of Latin America's most stable democracies. Rising poverty and insecurity in the popular eco-tourism destination and a fiscal deficit worsened by the global financial crisis are key public concerns at the start of her four-year term.

• Saturday, May 8th 2010 - 06:01 UTC

  Cuban Sugar Crop Worst in a Century; Brazilian Investors Could Take over Industry

  

  The current sugar harvest is Cuba’s worst since 1905, according to Communist Party daily Granma. The news comes two days after President Raúl Castro fired the minister responsible for the area amid increasing rumours that foreign investors will be invited to take over the industry.