Latin America

• Friday, March 26th 2010 - 00:37 UTC

  Uruguay outperformed other regional economies, expanding 2.9% in 2009

  

  Uruguay outperformed all other Latinamerican countries last year, according to the latest available data on 2009 economic growth. The data shows the Uruguayan economy expanded 2.9% in 2009, compared to 1.2% for Peru and 0.9% in Argentina.

• Thursday, March 25th 2010 - 05:47 UTC

  Former Spanish president warns on China’s growing influence in Latinamerica

  

  Former Spanish president Felipe González and several experts in economics and politics warned about the growing influence of China in Latin America, which nevertheless could also help to balance the international scenario according to a forum held in New York University sponsored by the Euro-America Foundation.

• Thursday, March 25th 2010 - 03:20 UTC

  Latinamerica, “winning region of the financial crisis”, says optimistic IDB

  

  Latin American countries' banking and financial officials were optimistic Tuesday about their future development, saying most economies in the region were strengthened after the global financial crisis.

• Thursday, March 25th 2010 - 03:13 UTC

  Chilean navy clears of mines the most extreme south of islands

  

  The Chilean Navy celebrated this week the destruction of the 200th antipersonnel mine in the extreme south Horno Island, thus eliminating Field 113 from the list of territories that were planted with mines in 1982.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 22:30 UTC

  Obama congratulates Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico on bicentennial

  

  United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico on the bicentennial of their independence to be celebrated in the course of 2010 and said she was hopeful the anniversary would also celebrate a future of “greater cooperation in the hemisphere”.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 22:15 UTC

  Insulza voted by acclamation for a second OAS five year term

  

  Chile’s Jose Miguel Insulza was re-elected Wednesday as secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) for another five-year term (2010/2015). Insulza, 66, the only candidate, was elected by acclamation at the OAS general assembly with Paraguay’s Hector Lacognata acting as president.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 21:56 UTC

  President Piñera opens world leading air and space fair in Santiago

  

  Chilean President Sebastían Piñera officially inaugurated this week the biannual International Air and Space Fair, FIDAE, which this year marks the 30th anniversary of the successful air show and the 80th anniversary of the Chilean Air Force.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 05:15 UTC

  Dakar rally 2011 edition to be again shared by Argentina and Chile

  

  After two editions in South America, the organizers of the Dakar announced from Paris that the world’s leading rally-raid will take place again in Argentina and Chile in 2011.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 02:09 UTC

  Argentina apologizes to Peru and anticipates closer political links

  

  Argentina and Peru put an end this week to sixteen years of “cold relations” with official apologies and a historic reparation from visiting President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner who also signed with her peer Alan García a Strategic Association bilateral agreement.

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 22:52 UTC

  Chile creates Emergency Jobs Program to counter massive layoffs

  

  With many Chilean companies using the ‘Fuerza Mayor’ clause to terminate contracts with their workers in the wake of the February 27 earthquake, Chile’s government this week announced creation of 13,000 new emergency jobs for the most devastated zones and the creation of special loans for the most damaged companies.