Latin America

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 01:36 UTC

  Crucial debate for the Chilean presidential run-off between Piñera and Frei

  

  Chilean Conservative billionaire businessman Sebastián Piñera and centre-left candidate (and former president) Senator Eduardo Frei face-off this Monday evening in their first and only national debate since the December 13 first-round vote eliminated Communist Party candidate Jorge Arrate and independent candidate Marco Enriquez Ominami (MEO).

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 01:28 UTC

  “Chile’s accession to OECD a major milestone”

  Chile signs up as the 31st member of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and its first member in South America on January 11. For Chile, this marks recognition of nearly two decades of democratic reform and sound economic policies. For the OECD, it is a major milestone in its mission to build a stronger, cleaner and fairer global economy.

• Monday, January 11th 2010 - 13:17 UTC

  Vargas Llosa calls for the decriminalizing of drugs’ consumption

  

  Peruvian renowned writer Mario Vargas Llosa proposed “decriminalizing” consumption of drugs as a way to stop the narcotics trade, in a column published in Lima’s most influential daily El Comercio Sunday edition.

• Monday, January 11th 2010 - 13:09 UTC

  Chavez warns Army will take control of businesses that increase prices

  

  Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, has said troops will seize control of any business that increases prices in response to the devaluation of its currency.

• Monday, January 11th 2010 - 12:46 UTC

  China will construct Bolivia’s first satellite; Morales travels to Beijing

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales will be travelling to China next March to sign an agreement for the construction and launching of the country’s first telecommunications satellite, reported Bolivian government sources on Sunday.

• Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 14:18 UTC

  Chavez devalues Bolivar, establishes dual exchange rate

  

  Venezuela devalued on Friday the official exchange rate of the Bolivar currency for the first time since March 2005, and created a second exchange rate for non-essential imports, to stimulate exports and close a fiscal deficit.

• Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 14:01 UTC

  Mr. Bean, the Spanish EU presidency and the next six months

  

  Spanish diplomacy, authorities and the press have repeatedly insisted, with a certain degree of optimism, that with Madrid holding the six-month presidency of the EU, Latinamerica will be a priority.

• Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 13:58 UTC

  Peruvian president anticipates “electoral crisis” but promises stability

  

  Peruvian president Alan García forecasted an “electoral crisis” in 2010 because of the political appetites of the opposition, but promised Peru will successfully overcome the situation it as it has done with the global economic turbulences.

• Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 13:52 UTC

  Chile to test first deep-water salmon farming project

  

  A new system for deep-water salmon farming is planned to rock the waters of Chile and Latin America.

• Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 13:45 UTC

  Morales chooses former Miss Bolivia to run for governor in opposition stronghold

  

  Former Miss Bolivia Jessica Jordan, 24, accepted an invitation from President Evo Morales to run for governor of Beni province as a member of his Movement Toward Socialism party in April 4 regional elections.