Latin America

• Friday, September 11th 2009 - 07:03 UTC

  Chilean Congress to repeal copper sales law funding Armed Forces

  

  President Michelle Bachelet gave her support Tuesday to a bill that would repeal the Copper Reserve Law. The Copper Reserve Law, a relic of the Pinochet dictatorship, guaranteed that 10% of all sales made by the state-owned CODELCO copper company will be given to Chile’s Armed Services.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 11:40 UTC

  Chilean president Bachelet approval rating remains steady at 73%

  

  An overwhelming majority of Chileans, 73% approve of the way that President Michelle Bachelet is handling her responsibilities, says a new Adimark poll taken in August.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 11:35 UTC

  Mexico and Venezuela spend millions lobbying in the US

  

  Mexico is the Latinamerican country which most resources invests in influencing US policies, while the Venezuelan government deploys the most public relations activities to promote a positive image, according to data from the US Justice Department.

• Thursday, September 10th 2009 - 04:54 UTC

  Russian T-72 tanks for Venezuela; submarines and choppers could follow

  

  Russia and Venezuela are expected to sign a contract on the delivery of at least 100 main battle tanks worth about 500 million US dollars to the Latin American country, a Russian defence industry source said on Wednesday according to Russian news agency Novosti.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 10:41 UTC

  Chilean wheat farmers squeezed by falling prices and rising costs

  

  Just two years after wheat prices registered record highs, Chilean producers are finding themselves squeezed between rising costs and cheap imports.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 02:51 UTC

  Re-enactment of Darwin’s expedition arrives in Montevideo late October

  

  A re-enactment of Charles Darwin global scientific expedition in the eighteen hundreds was launched on September first from Plymouth, England and should be calling in Montevideo, Uruguay at the end of October.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 02:28 UTC

  How did Easter Island statues obtain their red hats?

  

  Archaeologists believe they have solved one ancient mystery surrounding the famous Easter Island statues. At 2,500 miles off the coast of Chile, the island is one of the world's most remote places inhabited by people.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 00:20 UTC

  Latinamerica turns to Europe, Russia and China for military hardware

  

  Brazil's plans to buy French fighter jets confirms a trend across Latinamerica that is based in recent history and the proclivity of US lawmakers to put political restrictions on what customers can and cannot do with their purchases.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 13:05 UTC

  Major reshuffle in Mexico includes war on drugs, oil and agriculture

  

  Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced Monday the resignation of Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora, his point-man in the offensive against drug cartels, but gave no indication that the current strategy of full confrontation with the gangs would change.

• Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 10:33 UTC

  Chilean conservatives more confident of winning presidential election

  

  Chilean conservative presidential candidate Sebastián Piñera announced Sunday he will submit a proposal to Chile's government suggesting that the voter registration period for December's presidential elections be extended by around one month.