Latin America

• Saturday, September 12th 2009 - 11:55 UTC

  Russian mid range missiles (300 km) for Venezuela, and “they don’t fail”

  

  Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has announced that the country will soon take delivery of Russian missiles with a range of 300km. Returning from a 10-day tour of Africa, Asia and Europe, including Russia, Mr Chavez is also planning to buy Russian T-72 and T-90.

• Saturday, September 12th 2009 - 11:29 UTC

  September summit in Venezuela of African and South American leaders

  

  Relations between Africa and South America will be strengthened when leaders from the two continents meet late in September to review progress in implementing joint projects and decisions made at the previous summit in 2006.

• Saturday, September 12th 2009 - 10:55 UTC

  Cuban sentenced to two-year in jail for protesting about hunger

  

  A Cuban court of appeals in Havana on Friday upheld the two-year sentence handed down to a man who had drunkenly protested before television cameras about hunger in Cuba, according to Cuban dissidents.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:43 UTC

  Paraguay and Bolivia agree on military expenditure

  

  Paraguay said it was satisfied with Bolivia’s explanations regarding the neighbouring country’s plans to purchase arms and reinforce its military garrisons. The statement follows a Thursday meeting of the two countries Foreign Affairs and Defence ministers in Asuncion, capital of Paraguay.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:37 UTC

  Venezuela announced nuclear energy cooperation program with Iran

  

  Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez revealed in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro that he has signed an agreement with his Iranian peer Mahmud Ahmadinejad to develop a nuclear program with the help of the Teheran regime.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:25 UTC

  Uruguayan businessman among Latinamerica’s hundred most powerful

  

  Uruguay’s Gabriel T. Rozman figures among Latinamerica’s hundred most powerful men and women in business according to the Latin Business Chronicle Power 100 ranking. Mr Rozman is executive vice-president for emerging markets at Tata Consulting Services, TCS, the Indian corporation that only in Latinamerica has over 6.000 staff in Latinamerica.

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:03 UTC

  Chilean Congress to repeal copper sales law funding Armed Forces

  

  President Michelle Bachelet gave her support Tuesday to a bill that would repeal the Copper Reserve Law. The Copper Reserve Law, a relic of the Pinochet dictatorship, guaranteed that 10% of all sales made by the state-owned CODELCO copper company will be given to Chile’s Armed Services.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 11:40 UTC

  Chilean president Bachelet approval rating remains steady at 73%

  

  An overwhelming majority of Chileans, 73% approve of the way that President Michelle Bachelet is handling her responsibilities, says a new Adimark poll taken in August.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 11:35 UTC

  Mexico and Venezuela spend millions lobbying in the US

  

  Mexico is the Latinamerican country which most resources invests in influencing US policies, while the Venezuelan government deploys the most public relations activities to promote a positive image, according to data from the US Justice Department.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 04:54 UTC

  Russian T-72 tanks for Venezuela; submarines and choppers could follow

  

  Russia and Venezuela are expected to sign a contract on the delivery of at least 100 main battle tanks worth about 500 million US dollars to the Latin American country, a Russian defence industry source said on Wednesday according to Russian news agency Novosti.