Latin America

Thursday, February 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Punta Arenas expects 4.175 cruise visitors on Saturday

Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile will be taken over by 4.175 cruise visitors when two huge vessels, “Star Princess” and “Radiance of the Seas” call in on Saturday. “Carnival Splendour” with 3.700 visitors is expected at the end of the month.
Wednesday, February 4th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
FARC releases former governor captive for eight years

Colombia's biggest guerrilla group freed Tuesday former Governor Alan Jara, a captive for almost eight years, in what it called “goodwill” gesture even as the rebels step up terror attacks on the nation's cities.
Wednesday, February 4th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Brazil's Lula da Silva breaks polls' approval record

Brazil's president Lula da Silva had a stunning 84% approval during January the highest since taking office in 2003, according to the latest public opinion poll published this week in Sao Paulo. Meanwhile his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet is recovering from low records and now has a 53% support the second highest since December 2006 (54.3%).
Wednesday, February 4th 2009 - 20:00 UTC
World progressive leaders meet in Chile to talk politics

Chile will be hosting at the end of March the “Progressive Leaders' summit” which is organized by the British think-tank Policy Network. The previous event was in London, last April hosted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as head of the Labour party.
Tuesday, February 3rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC
National holiday to celebrate Venezuela's Chavez ten-year rule

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has declared a national holiday to mark his 10 years in power. The capital, Caracas, was quieter than usual, as workers and children stayed away from offices and schools.
Tuesday, February 3rd 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Coal and oil will make Magallanes “Chile's energy centre”

Magallanes region in the extreme south of Chile is becoming the “energy centre of the country” based primarily on the development of coal resources and the exploration for hydrocarbons said Chile's National Energy Commission president Marcelo Tokman.
Monday, February 2nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Slight increase in Chile's unemployment; Magallanes 2.8%

Unemployment in the extreme south of Chile, Magallanes Region increased half a percentage point during the last quarter of last year, compared to the previous quarter, but still is one of the lowest of the country according to the latest release from the Statistics Institute, INE.
Monday, February 2nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Obama rings Chilean president and invites her to visit US

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet has been invited to visit the United States in the coming months by her counterpart Barack Obama. The two leaders had a long telephone conference and analyzed bilateral relations and exchanged ideas about the regional and world situation, according to the Chilean Executive.
Monday, February 2nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Colombian guerrillas release 4 hostages; Tuesday next stage

A Colombian soldier and three police officers were released from captivity by Marxist guerrillas Sunday night, completing the first stage of a three-step release of hostages
Monday, February 2nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC
Punta Arenas Methanex postpones coal turbine option

The Methanex group which operates in Magallanes region, next to Punta Arenas has decided to postpone the investment in a coal turbine, which would have helped re-route more natural gas to the actual methanol processing, according to the local press.