Latin America

• Friday, June 12th 2009 - 18:15 UTC

  Clearing the Amazon for cattle and soy a “boom-bust cycle”

  

  Cutting down Amazon forest for cattle and soy does not bring long-term economic progress, researchers say. A study of 286 Amazon municipalities found that deforestation brought quick benefits that were soon reversed.

• Friday, June 12th 2009 - 18:08 UTC

  Lack of snow postpones beginning of Chile’s ski season

  

  Ski addicts will have to wait a little longer this year before they can begin gliding down Chilean slopes. Although ski resorts were set to open this week, the lack of precipitation - and consequently of snow – has forced ski resorts to postpone their openings until at least the end of June.

• Friday, June 12th 2009 - 17:44 UTC

  Lan Chile changing the controversial speed sensors of its Airbus fleet

  

  Chile’s flag carrier began changing the airspeed sensors in all its Airbus planes following on the steps of Air France’s decision as a consequence of the loss of flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people on board.

• Friday, June 12th 2009 - 17:23 UTC

  Ecuador celebrates sovereign “defaulted” bonds repurchase

  

  Ecuador announced Thursday it had bought back 91% of its “defaulted” bonds via an international auction with drastic rebates of 65% to 70%. The amount involved in the operation was 3.37 billion US dollars.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 09:05 UTC

  Latinamerica forecasted to contact 1.7% with mild recovery at end of 2009

  

  Latinamerica will experience this year a 1.7% contraction (negative growth), the first time since 2002, basically because of a severe fall in global trade and remittances according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, CEPAL.

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 06:39 UTC

  Buenos Aires and Santiago most liveable cities of Latinamerica

  

  Santiago de Chile is Latinamerica’s second best city in terms of “liveability,” according to a new report by British magazine “The Economist.”

• Thursday, June 11th 2009 - 06:30 UTC

  Peru’s Congress suspends land laws that triggered violent clashes

  

  Peru's Congress voted on Wednesday to temporarily suspend two land laws that ignited violent clashes between protesting indigenous groups and security forces last week killing at least 60 and claims of missing protestors.

• Wednesday, June 10th 2009 - 07:46 UTC

  Peruvian minister resigns over killings in clashes with Indians

  

  Carmen Vildoso, Peru's Minister of Woman's Affairs and Social Development, submitted her resignation from the cabinet late Monday on discrepancies over how the government managed the unrest of indigenous peoples in northern Peru that left at least sixty dead and dozens wounded.

• Tuesday, June 9th 2009 - 12:56 UTC

  Leader of Peruvian Indian protests takes refuge in Nicaraguan embassy

  

  The wanted leader of protesting the Peruvian Amazon region Indians has been granted diplomatic asylum at the Nicaraguan embassy and is waiting for a safe conduct announced Monday Prime Minister Yehude Simon in a presentation to members of Congress.

• Tuesday, June 9th 2009 - 09:29 UTC

  Insulza trusts dialogue will lift embargo and bring Cuba back to OAS

  

  The head of the Organization of American States, OAS said he was hopeful that with the revoke of sanctions to Cuba, the US embargo would eventually be lifted and Havana would rejoin the 34-member organization, but much dialogue would be required.