A study of satellite images released this week confirmed a 38% decrease in Chile’s Central Valley forest cover between 1975 and 2008. Forests that used to grow between the coast and the central valley have been replaced either by urban growth or agricultural activity. In some cases the forests have become arid lands.
Peruvian president Alan García said he had no intention of perpetuating in office but openly supported the proposal to have the one house Congress renewed by halves, “so people in mid term can decide if lawmakers are making a good job or not, as happens in most developed presidential countries”.
The Ecuadorian government filed an appeal against Spain's Air Comet for alleged fraud and requested board directors be put under preventive custody, announced Migration Ministry Alexis Rivas during a press conference in Quito.
A news agency close to FARC Colombian rebels justified the recent killing of provincial governor Luis Francisco Cuellar although it did not fully attribute responsibility of the abduction and murder to the Revolutionary Colombian Armed Forces.
Breaking from Chile’s tradition of giving babies a compound name - i.e. Juan Pablo, Maria Isabel - more and more parents are opting for single names.
Venezuela has imposed sweeping power cuts on industry and businesses in order to save its limited energy resources and avoid mass blackouts. The government said the cuts were because of falling water levels at the Guri Hydroelectric dam, which supplies much of the country's power.
Chilean flag carrier LAN Airlines and its subsidiaries, one of the leading airlines in Latin America, announced Wednesday that the Company signed a contract for the purchase of 30 Airbus A320 family aircraft to be delivered between 2011 and 2016.
The Cuban economy grew by only 1.4% in 2009, far from an initial forecast of 6%, Economy and Planning minister told parliament this week. Marino Murillo said that Cuba’s exports fell by 22.9% this year, while imports were down 37.4%. Prospects for 2010 are modest: 1.7% growth.
Over half of Honduras registered voters in Honduras did not participate in the controversial presidential election last November 29th, held under the de facto regime, according to figures released by the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
Bolivia’s re-elected president Evo Morales ratified his sweeping victory on December 6 general election when he was supported by 64.2% of the vote, according to the final vote count from the country’s Electoral Court.