Latin America

• Monday, February 2nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Nicaraguan president Ortega abides by IMF requirements

  Nicaragua's president Daniel Ortega has taken the oath to the new four members of the Central Bank board, one of the conditions demanded by the IMF to sign a three year support and monitor financial program.

• Monday, February 2nd 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine tourists “flooded” Chile during January

  

  Tourist activity in Chile during January increased 6.4% compared to the same month a year ago, totalling 424.536 tourists and an estimated 289 million US dollars, up 9% over January 2008, according to the Chilean Tourism Office.

• Saturday, January 31st 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Uribe's third consecutive mandate lacks political support

  

  President Alvaro Uribe's hometown newspaper reported Thursday that Colombia's immensely popular leader will not seek a third consecutive term in 2010 elections.

• Friday, January 30th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Five South American presidents spurn Davos meeting

  

  While bankers and politicians met this week in Davos for the World Economic Forum a rival summit in the Brazilian city of Belem challenged them and blamed the capitalist system for the current global crisis.

• Friday, January 30th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Release of Colombian hostages planned for Sunday/Wednesday

  A Colombian delegation headed by Senator Piedad Córdoba left for Brazil on the first leg of a multi-day journey to obtain the release of six hostages held by the FARC guerrilla group. The first stop is at San Gabriel de Cachoeira in Brazil's Amazon jungle, where the group will coordinate the hostage release

• Thursday, January 29th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean ruling coalition agrees on presidential candidate

  

  Chile's Party for Democracy, or PPD, named former president and leader of the Christian Democrats Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle as presidential candidate for the December election.

• Thursday, January 29th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Dengue epidemic in Bolivia; worst outbreak in 22 years

  

  Landlocked Bolivia has declared a health emergency as a dengue fever epidemic spreads across much of the country. Health officials say it is the worst outbreak in 22 years and at least three people are known to have died from the disease.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Mexican migrant remittances fall for first time on record

  

  Mexican migrant remittances fell in 2008 for the first time on record, Mexico's central bank said Tuesday. Remittances are Mexico's second-largest source of foreign income after oil and they plunged 3.6% to 25 billion US dollars in 2008 compared to 26 billion for the previous year.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela stronger than Germany or Spain, says Chavez

  

  President Hugo Chavez boasted that Venezuela has more foreign reserves to face the current global crisis that Spain or Germany, following a cabinet meeting which was broadcasted live.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Iran efforts in Latinamerica concern US Defence Dpt.

  

  United States Defence Secretary Robert Gates told Senators that although much attention was given to Russia's recent courting of some Latin American countries he is more concerned about new activities of Iran in the region.