
China’s voracious appetite for Latinamerican commodities is turning into a great opportunity for companies in the region not only because of the huge market but also as a great financial source.

Brazilian sanitary authorities confirmed the existence of a dengue epidemic in several counties of five states. They are Matto Grosso bordering with Bolivia; Matto Grosso do Sul next to Bolivia and Paraguay; Acre neighbouring with Peru and Bolivia; Roraima to the north next to Venezuela and Guyana and the state of Goias in the heart of Brazil.

Uruguay’s president-elect Jose Mujica, once instated next March first, will be visiting several countries of the region while his administration will attempt closer political links with neighbouring countries to facilitate trade, said Luis Almagro, the future Foreign Affairs minister.

Chile’s President-elect Sebastian Piñera affirmed that his government will strongly defend human rights once taking power on March 11 by giving much more attention to Cuba than did his predecessors from the centre-left Concertacion coalition.

Russia has increased arms sales to Latin America but Moscow’s interests in the region are “purely commercial” said Russian Foreign Affairs minister Sergei Lavrov following talks with his Mexican counterpart, the last stop of a regional tour that included Cuba, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

President Hugo Chavez's government said it is not interested in buying electricity from neighbouring Colombia despite Venezuela's struggles with severe energy shortages.

The cost of rebuilding Haiti’s homes, schools, roads and other infrastructure could soar to nearly 14 billion US dollars according to a new study by economists at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Marriage numbers have fallen 50% in Chile during the past 20 years, according to data made public last week by the Civil Statistical Registry.

Heads are rolling at the Chilean mint after a coin went into circulation which mangled the country's name. The 50-peso coins - worth about 6p - were issued in 2008, but no-one noticed they read Chiie rather than Chile until late last year.

Brazil’s Foreign Secretary Celso Amorim said that The Washington Post criticisms of the Organization of American States, OAS, Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza are “totally without foundation” and reiterated Brazil’s support for his re-election next month.