Latin America

• Thursday, April 30th 2009 - 07:54 UTC

  Cruise lines suspend calls at Mexican ports

  

  At least three cruise lines have suspended stops as of this week at Mexican ports because of concerns over the country's swine-flu outbreak. The cancellation of ship visits followed a recommendation issued this week by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control that advised US citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.

• Wednesday, April 29th 2009 - 12:20 UTC

  Chile purchases 18 second hand F16 fighter planes from Holland

  

  Chile purchased another batch of 18 refurbished F-16 fighter jets from Holland to strengthen and renovate the material and equipment of the country’s Air Force, informed Defence minister Francisco Vidal late Tuesday in Santiago. The operation involves 270 million US dollars.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 14:10 UTC

  Chavez recalls ambassador to Peru and escalates diplomatic dispute

  

  Venezuela recalled its ambassador to protest Peru's decision to grant political asylum to a prominent opponent of President Hugo Chavez, calling it a mockery of international law and escalating a diplomatic dispute.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 11:49 UTC

  Swine flu two steps short from a full pandemic, warns WHO

  

  The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its alert level over swine flu from three to four, two steps short of declaring a full pandemic. WHO Assistant Director General Dr Keiji Fukuda said it signalled a “significant step towards pandemic influenza”, but added “we are not there yet”.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 11:03 UTC

  Peru grants political asylum to Venezuela’s main opposition leader

  

  Peru confirmed Monday it had granted political asylum to Manuel Rosales, the mayor of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Rosales, a leading political opponent who lost the 2006 presidential race to Hugo Chavez, faces corruption charges in Venezuela.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 10:54 UTC

  US confirms follow up on thaw talks with Cuba

  

  United States diplomats are holding talks with officials of Cuba's diplomatic mission in Washington on possible follow-up measures to steps President Barack Obama took earlier this month to ease restrictions on the island nation.

• Tuesday, April 28th 2009 - 10:26 UTC

  Bolivia and Paraguay seal peace and limits 74 years after the Chaco war

  

  Bolivia and Paraguay formally sealed Monday in Buenos Aires the end of an armed conflict dating back 74 years and which is considered the bloodiest of the last century in South America with over 100.000 killed.

• Monday, April 27th 2009 - 14:29 UTC

  Swine flu deaths in Mexico 103; US declares public health emergency

  

  Mexican Public Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said on Sunday that the number of deaths from swine flu virus had increased to 103, with 1.614 suspect cases and 400 in hospitals. Meantime in neighbouring United States the Health and Human Services, HHS, issued a nationwide public health emergency declaration.

• Monday, April 27th 2009 - 14:00 UTC

  Vaccination of the Americas campaign launched in Paraguay

  

  Paraguay’s president Fernando Lugo and the Pan-American Health Organization, PHO, launched Sunday a new edition of the “Vaccination in the Americas” week which has the purpose of vaccinating 30 million people against a wide range of diseases that still ravage the region.

• Monday, April 27th 2009 - 13:40 UTC

  Port costs inhibit cruise industry warn Punta Arenas operators

  

  Port authorities from Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile anticipate a complicated 2009/10 cruise vessel season which could mean 30 to 40% less visitors and a considerable drop in the number of calls.