Latin America

• Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombia faces grave human rights challenges claims UN

  Colombia faces grave human rights challenges in its ongoing conflict, including hostage-taking, extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrest and detention, despite measures taken by the Government to protect vulnerable groups, the United Nations rights chief says after visiting the Andean country.

• Tuesday, November 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  FT gives high marks to Latinamerica's banking system

  Latinamerica's financial system has passed the Financial Times test. In an article under the headline of “Latinamerica sidesteps the worst of crisis”, FT correspondents in Sao Paulo and Mexico City elaborate on the region's banking industry and how “by accident and design” in spite of a long history of turbulence, it is weathering the global crisis.
  
  Maybe because of the relatively small size of the system, but definitively because regulations and close monitoring have helped Latinamerican banks stay away “from all those toxic products” that damaged US banks.

• Monday, November 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez velvet warning to Nobel Peace Lech Walesa

  

  Venezuelan opponents on Sunday accused President Hugo Chavez of trying to silence his critics after associates of former Polish president Lech Walesa said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate would not attend a pro-democracy forum in Venezuela.

• Sunday, November 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez: Biz related to scandal may be expropriated

  

  President Hugo Chavez on Saturday threatened to expropriate a major Venezuelan company because of its owners' ties to a scandal involving the seizure of a suitcase stuffed with $800,000 in cash.

• Sunday, November 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivian president suspends US anti-drug efforts

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales yesterday suspended operations by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, an agency he has accused of spying and helping to destabilize his government.

• Sunday, November 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  For delaying new oil contract, Repsol is ousted from Ecuador

  Ecuador has told Spanish-Argentine oil company Repsol YPF to leave the country after having refused to accept a government demand to change the contract which enables it to extract 60.000 bpd.

• Friday, October 31st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Sky Airline and Air Comet consolidate flights to Pta. Arenas

  

  Air Comet which has been flying to Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile since December 2004 will cease to operate in the area after having reached a commercial and operational alliance with Sky Airline.

• Friday, October 31st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Magallanes region has lowest unemployment in Chile with 1.7%

  Unemployment in Chile's extreme south region of Magallanes remained almost unchanged during the third quarter confirming it as the lowest in the country with 1.7%, compared to the national average of 7.8%.

• Friday, October 31st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Academic accord to promote coastal fisheries in P. Arenas

  Universidad del Mar (University of the Sea), a private institution from Punta Arenas inaugurated this week its new facilities plus the signing of an academic cooperation agreement with Chile's Fisheries Department to promote the industry in Magallanes, particularly small scale undertakings.

• Thursday, October 30th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez has his own Chinese built, launched satellite

  

  The first Venezuelan telecommunications satellite was launched Wednesday from the western Chinese province of Sichuan. The 3.1 ton satellite, named after Latin American liberator Simon Bolivar, was built by China at a cost of 406 million dollars and puts Venezuela in the region's space club which includes Brazil and Argentina.