Latin America

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 14:44 UTC

  China displaces the US as main trading partner of Chile

  

  China overtook the United States as the principal consumer of Chilean goods in the first half of 2009, reaching its highest percentage share of Chilean exports yet. China’s continued appetite for Chilean copper, among other commodities, has helped cushion Chile’s overall drop off in exports.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 14:18 UTC

  Swedish made weapons sold to Venezuela turn up in Colombian guerrilla camp

  

  Sweden has asked Venezuela to explain how Swedish-made weapons ended up in the hands of Colombia's Farc rebels. Swedish officials said the anti-tank rocket launchers had been sold to Venezuela in the 1980s.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:13 UTC

  Honduras Army supports mediation, unity government and early elections

  

  The head of the Honduran military pledged on Monday not to use deadly force against supporters of ousted president Manuel Zelaya and said the Army supports mediation efforts to solve the political crisis.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:12 UTC

  Less Bolivian gas production as Brazilian demand falls

  

  Brazil has reduced its demand for Bolivian natural gas to 24 million cubic meters per day, prompting a drop in production, according to reports in the La Paz press.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:10 UTC

  Traffic in Panama Canal slowing down, reports administration

  

  The number of vessels passing through the Panama Canal declined by 6.4% during the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2009, according to the waterway’s administration latest report.

• Monday, July 27th 2009 - 12:31 UTC

  Colombia’s Uribe re-re-election will be decided next September

  

  Colombian President Alvaro Uribe postponed until September any decision on plans to seek a third term in office, the country’s former defence minister said week in Madrid.

• Monday, July 27th 2009 - 12:23 UTC

  Castro announces second belt tightening and calls on Cubans to work the land

  

  On the 56th anniversary of the start of the Cuban Revolution, the message from President Raul Castro was not at all celebratory: the country must prepare for a second round of belt tightening because of the global financial crisis and promoting agriculture and food production is a “strategic priority”.

• Saturday, July 25th 2009 - 11:50 UTC

  Mercosur warns it rejects any attempt to call new elections in Honduras

  

  As was anticipated Mercosur released a strong condemnation of the Honduran de facto government and demanded the immediate reinstatement of constitutional president Manuel Zelaya.

• Saturday, July 25th 2009 - 10:39 UTC

  Ousted president Zelaya completes symbolic crossing into Honduras

  

  The ousted president of Honduras briefly crossed on Friday the country's border with Nicaragua, in a symbolic move that United States described as “reckless”.

• Friday, July 24th 2009 - 14:17 UTC

  Uruguay, Chile, Argentina less insecure than the rest of the continent

  

  Uruguay, Chile and Argentina have lower levels of insecurity than the rest of Latinamerica according to secretary general of the Organization of American States Miguel Insulza who said he was against more severe punishments as a strategy to improve security.