Latin America

• Thursday, March 18th 2010 - 21:30 UTC

  Chile’s quake death toll, 700 and economic damage: 18% of GDP

  

  The Chilean government has updated the death toll from the Feb. 27 earthquake, saying 700 people lost their lives during or following the quake. Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said just over 500 are confirmed dead, with another 200 missing.

• Thursday, March 18th 2010 - 21:26 UTC

  Piñera’s first international visit Washington, next month

  

  Chile’s new president Sebastián Piñera will make his first international visit next month when he attends the Nuclear Safety Summit in Washington, responding to an invitation from U.S. President Barack Obama.

• Thursday, March 18th 2010 - 21:23 UTC

  World Bank, IMF and IDB resume links (and loans) with Honduras

  

  Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) member countries this week agreed to resume lending to Honduras, the latest development institution to recognize the new government of President Porfirio Lobo.

• Thursday, March 18th 2010 - 02:19 UTC

  Chilean Professor chairs Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

  

  The Inter-American Commission On Human Rights (CIDH) from the Organization of American States, OAS, this week elected Chilean human rights attorney Felipe Gonzalez as its new president.

• Wednesday, March 17th 2010 - 23:20 UTC

  IPI calls for immediate release of 19 Cuban journalists jailed in 2003

  

  Seven years after Cuba’s notorious Black Spring clampdown on independent journalism, IPI (International Press Institute) calls for the immediate release of the 19 journalists jailed in 2003 who still remain in prison, as well as of the six other journalists jailed after 2003.

• Wednesday, March 17th 2010 - 22:27 UTC

  Amnesty calls on Cuban authorities to release dissidents “unfairly detained”

  

  Amnesty International Wednesday called on the Cuban authorities to release all dissidents “unfairly detained” and to revoke laws restricting freedom of expression and the right to free assembly and association.

• Tuesday, March 16th 2010 - 18:26 UTC

  Chile’s power supply “fragile” for the next six months

  

  Chile’s new Energy Minister Ricardo Raineri said the country’s electricity supply may not normalize for another six months, following a blackout which hit more than 70% of the country late Sunday night.

• Tuesday, March 16th 2010 - 16:37 UTC

  Chile per capita expenditure on defence, the highest of Latinamerica

  

  Chile is the second largest weapons importer in the Americas and the 11th largest in the world, a recent study has shown. Chile’s defence budget nearly doubled between 1997 and 2007, the study carried out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

• Monday, March 15th 2010 - 20:16 UTC

  Uruguay/Bolivia sign agreement to exchange natural gas for sea outlet

  

  Bolivia will gain access to Atlantic ports in Uruguay in exchange for a pledge of natural gas exports to Montevideo in an agreement signed in La Paz by presidents Evo Morales and José Mujica.

• Monday, March 15th 2010 - 19:50 UTC

  Colombia’s former Defense minister consolidates as sucesor of Uribe

  

  Colombian presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos’s La U party is leading the vote count of congressional elections held Sunday, consolidating his position as frontrunner to succeed Alvaro Uribe.