Latin America

• Thursday, October 15th 2009 - 02:56 UTC

  Latinamerican banks sound and safe, according to S&P ratings

  

  Latinamerican banks will see second quarter gains despite the economic crisis due to a greater dependency on deposits rather than loans, Standard & Poor's ratings agency said.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2009 - 10:19 UTC

  Montevideo port becomes most advanced container terminal in South America

  

  Uruguay inaugurated this week the new Montevideo’s port facilities which will expand handling to over 1.1 million containers annually making it the most advanced terminal of South America.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2009 - 06:22 UTC

  Zelaya and Micheletti closer to a solution for the Honduras crisis

  

  Ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya sacked Tuesday one of his negotiators at the dialogue table with the de facto government, following his refusal to sign an understanding by which Zelaya desists from calling a constitutional assembly.

• Wednesday, October 14th 2009 - 03:57 UTC

  Chilean government announces major Mapuche land repatriation

  

  Chile’s government last week announced plans to purchase and return 33,000 hectares (more than 80,000 acres) to indigenous communities in southern Region IX, paying record prices for estates that have become emblematic to the native Mapuche cause

• Tuesday, October 13th 2009 - 23:46 UTC

  Bachelet celebrates Chile’s qualification for World Cup in South Africa

  

  President Michelle Bachelet this weekend celebrated Chile’s 4 – 2 victory on Saturday over Colombia, a victory that assured Chile a berth at the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa in 2010.

• Tuesday, October 13th 2009 - 05:02 UTC

  Chilean Tierra del Fuego to promote tourism as the main industry

  

  An innovative and aggressive program to promote Chilean Tierra del Fuego tourism as its most dynamic industry is to be implemented between government, the private sector and international advisory organizations, according to reports in Punta Arenas La Prensa Austral.

• Tuesday, October 13th 2009 - 04:50 UTC

  Pickets lifted for the crucial World Cup qualifier Uruguay/Argentina

  

  FIFA has more country members that the United Nations and is proving more effective than even the International Court of The Hague: Argentine pickets blocking for almost two years an international bridge will lift the ban so Argentine fans can cross to Uruguay for the South Africa Soccer World Cup qualifier.

• Tuesday, October 13th 2009 - 04:01 UTC

  Mexican government fights waste, inefficiency and takes over energy plant

  

  Mexico has closed a state-run energy distribution firm with about 40,000 employees and 25 million customers, blaming the scale of its losses. Federal police seized the offices of Luz y Fuerza del Centro on Saturday night when the city was celebrating Mexico’s qualifier to the South Africa World Cup.

• Monday, October 12th 2009 - 10:53 UTC

  Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay best performers in democratic development

  

  Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay have the highest democratic development in Latinamerica while Guatemala and Bolivia stand at the opposite end of the ranking. The index measures among other things respect for political rights, civil liberties, institutional quality and the capacity of the different governments to deliver.

• Monday, October 12th 2009 - 10:50 UTC

  Avianca and Taca create a major Latinamerican airlines holding

  

  Two of Latinamerica's best known airlines are set to merge in a deal aimed at cost-cutting. Avianca of Colombia and El Salvador's Taca will join forces, but have said that each will maintain its own identity and operate separately. The two airlines have about 130 planes and some 13,000 employees.