Latin America

• Tuesday, March 10th 2009 - 07:12 UTC

  Chile’s economy gradually approaching recession

  

  Chile’s economy is forecasted to expand 0.2% in 2009 according to the latest Central Bank Expectations Survey compiled during March. This is a significant drop from the previous survey in February when the forecast was 1.2%.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 11:11 UTC

  Australia Chile free trade agreement becomes effective

  

  The Australia-Chile Free Trade Agreement came into force on Saturday 6 March, the first trade agreement between Oceania and a Latinamerican country. Besides trade the agreement covers services, investments, government purchases and intellectual property plus a special chapter on academic and scientific cooperation.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 09:56 UTC

  Bolivia’s Morales heads fumigation campaign against dengue

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales headed this weekend a massive fumigation and clean up campaign in one of the poor neighbourhoods of the city of Santa Cruz as part of a major effort against the mosquito transmitted dengue disease which has caused so far 22 deaths and an estimated 41.000 cases.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 09:54 UTC

  South America launches council on defence cooperation

  

  Defence ministers from the twelve countries which make up the United Nations of South America, Unasur begin this Monday in Santiago de Chile a round of talks including the launching of the South American Defence Council geared to increase cooperation and dialogue among its members.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 09:44 UTC

  Charles begins tour meeting Chilean president Bachelet

  

  Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Chile Sunday afternoon the first stop of a South American tour that also includes Brazil and Ecuador which is seen as an opportunity for the heir of the throne to emphasize on one of his passions, climate change. The three days visit to Chile begins officially on Monday when the couple will have an audience with President Michelle Bachelet.

• Saturday, March 7th 2009 - 15:09 UTC

  Two Cuban figures admit having fallen for the “honey of power”

  

  Two of Cuba's most prominent politicians have resigned from their Communist party and government posts after they were sacked from the cabinet, according to letters published by the Cuban media.

• Friday, March 6th 2009 - 10:35 UTC

  Lula da Silva offers to talk about Venezuela with Obama

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he has authorized Brazil's leader to raise the subject of Venezuela in talks with President Barack Obama this month. Despite the change of government, Washington/Caracas relations remain strained.

• Friday, March 6th 2009 - 09:05 UTC

  Venezuela will seek amicable accord with nationalized Cargill

  

  Venezuela does not plan to take over additional assets of US food giant Cargill after announcing the seizure of its rice unit said the Agriculture minister Elias Jaua on Thursday.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 17:36 UTC

  Chavez seizes US food company

  

  Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, has seized one food company and threatened to nationalise another as he demands that the industry produce cheaper rice.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 17:12 UTC

  Bad news for Latin America

  

  With Europe and America struggling to address the ongoing global economic crisis, the forces of economic nationalism are on the march. Industry representatives and trade unions are busy lobbying the halls of power in Washington, Brussels, Paris, and London. They are seeking subsidies, tariff protection from foreign competition, restrictions on foreign labor, and even measures that pressure Europeans and Americans into buying domestically-made products.