Latin America

• Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 03:27 UTC

  “Efficiency”, the watchword for Chile’s Berlusconi, according to FT

  

  Chilean Conservative presidential candidate, billionaire Sebastián Piñera is described as Chile’s Berlusconi in an article from the Financial Times (FT), which also underlines his lead in public opinion polls and the growing problems faced by the ruling coalition after 19 years in office.

• Thursday, October 29th 2009 - 02:42 UTC

  Overwhelming UN vote calling an end to US embargo on Cuba

  

  The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to call for an end to the US embargo on Cuba. The vote was cast at the 192-member General Assembly with 187 in favour, three against and two abstentions. This is the 18th year that the General Assembly voted to urge an end to the U.S. embargo.

• Wednesday, October 28th 2009 - 20:35 UTC

  Chilean vineyards moving south in anticipation of climate change

  

  Some of Chile’s most renowned vineyards may have to relocate in the face of global warming, suggests a recent study conducted by the British consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

• Wednesday, October 28th 2009 - 09:59 UTC

  Arrival of top US and OAS officials could anticipate end of Honduras crisis

  

  The scheduled arrival Wednesday in Tegucigalpa of two top US and OAS officials anticipates that the Honduran institutional crisis, following the ousting of elected president Manuel Zelaya last June and after months of negotiations, could be reaching a decisive moment.

• Wednesday, October 28th 2009 - 08:17 UTC

  “Scientific route” one of this season’s amenities at Torres del Paine Park

  

  The Chilean National Service of Tourism (SERNATUR) in November will open a new route through the Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile’s Patagonia, that will offer geologic and physical information about eleven specific sites within the park.

• Tuesday, October 27th 2009 - 12:19 UTC

  Uruguay’s flag carrier Pluna flies cargo between Santiago and Punta Arenas

  

  Pluna, Uruguay’s flag carrier began this month commercial cargo flights between Santiago and Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile and has plans to incorporate passengers in the near future, reports La Prensa Austral.

• Tuesday, October 27th 2009 - 07:56 UTC

  Housing sales up 13% in Greater Santiago area

  

  House and apartment sales in the Santiago Metropolitan Region have increased by 13.1% compared to 2008, the Chilean Chamber of Construction announced last week.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 12:45 UTC

  Chilean fresh fruit exporters suing government for overcharges

  

  In early November a Chilean court will rule on a 108 million US dollars lawsuit brought by 126 Chilean fresh fruit export companies against the nation’s Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) agency.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 10:14 UTC

  Ecuador overrides 2.000 pharmaceutical patents considered “indispensable”

  

  Ecuador made public on Sunday a presidential decree overriding over 2.000 pharmaceutical patents in order to provide more affordable medicines to the people of Ecuador.

• Monday, October 26th 2009 - 10:12 UTC

  Ten Colombian amateur soccer players killed in Venezuela

  

  Venezuela said on Sunday at least 10 members of an amateur Colombian soccer team had been found dead after being kidnapped on its side of the border. Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez told reporters the men were found with bullet wounds in various parts of the western state of Tachira, on the border between the two neighbouring countries.