Latin America

• Monday, May 25th 2009 - 17:39 UTC

  Latinamerica’s bicentennial independence festivities begin in Bolivia

  

  Bolivia’s commemoration on Monday May 25th of the 200th anniversary of the first uprising in Latinamerica against the Spanish colonial empire will also mark the beginning of similar independence celebrations along the continent which will peak in 2010.

• Monday, May 25th 2009 - 17:34 UTC

  Ecuador’s Correa promises radical measures to implement “citizens’ revolution”

  

  Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, flanked by his Venezuelan and Bolivian counterparts, Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales, on Sunday commemorated the 187th anniversary of the Battle Pichincha, whereby Ecuador assured its independence, and said that he will take even more radical measures to implement his “citizen’s revolution.” Correa also reiterated his commitment to Latinamerican integration.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 15:37 UTC

  Influenza virus “inter mingling” strong warning to Southern Hemisphere

  

  The director-general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, closed Friday the agency's annual conference with a warning that nations, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere with the winter season on, must remain vigilant and be prepared for a possible swine influenza A-H1N1 virus pandemic.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 15:05 UTC

  Obama administration invites Cuba to resume migration talks

  

  The United States Department said on Friday it had offered to resume talks with Cuba about Cuban migration to the United States, a fresh sign of US President Barack Obama’s effort to comply, even partially, with the virtually unanimous request from Latinamerica to improve relations with the Castro regime.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 14:59 UTC

  Third re-election running “inappropriate” admits Colombia’s Uribe

  

  Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe says it would be “inappropriate” for him to seek a third consecutive term. His statement comes two days after the Senate approved a referendum that would ask voters to permit him to run again. Uribe did not, however, clearly rule out a re-election bid.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 14:51 UTC

  Bolivia and US agree to improve bilateral ties

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales has called for a complete overhaul of his country's strained ties with the US. He urged “mutual respect” between the two nations, saying Washington should not interfere in Bolivia's affairs.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 11:41 UTC

  Foreign direct investment to Latam reached 139 billion USD in 2008

  

  Direct foreign investments in Latinamerica and the Caribbean are showing a significant resistance to the global crisis and in 2008 reached a record 139 billion US dollars, up 9.4% from the previous year according the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 11:24 UTC

  Mexican economy contracts 8.2% in first quarter

  

  Mexico’s economy shrank a record 8.2% in the first quarter, --the most since the 1995 Tequila Crisis--, battered by the global financial crisis and the outbreak of swine flu. Mexican Finance minister Agustin Carstens admitted GDP may shrink as much as 5.5% this year.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 11:14 UTC

  Oil-export fuelled Venezuela feeling the shortage of hard currency

  

  Venezuela's economy grew at its slowest rate in five years during the first quarter, 0.3% (year to year) and the slowest since 2003 reported the Central Bank. Compared with the previous quarter the contraction was 16.4%.

• Wednesday, May 20th 2009 - 14:55 UTC

  Soy prices set to increase because of poor crops in South America

  

  World stocks of soybeans are set to decline steeply to a five year low of around 50 million tons at the end of the season (10 million tons less than a year ago), mainly because of smaller crops in the leading exporting countries of South America, according to Oil World.