Latin America

• Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  BP suspends all operations with Super Puma choppers

  

  British Petroleum has suspended using Super Puma Bond helicopters for North Sea flights after one of the aircraft carrying 18 people ditched off the Scottish coast. The company said it had decided to temporarily stop using that type of helicopter on flights from Aberdeen “as a precaution” in light of Wednesday's incident.

• Thursday, February 19th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Stanford failure panic spreads to Peru and Venezuela

  

  Peru and Venezuela have become the latest countries to intervene in local banks controlled by the Stanford group as it faces fraud accusations. Peru's securities regulator suspended local operations of the Stanford Financial Group for 30 days.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Morales after European partners for mining projects

  French conglomerate Bollore plans to submit a plan to develop Bolivia's Lake Uyuni lithium deposit one of the world's largest said a spokesman for Bolivian President Evo Morales who is currently visiting France.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia: dengue death toll increases; malaria outbreak

  

  The number of deaths from hemorrhagic dengue so far this year in Bolivia has increased to 13, the government reported while admitting that an outbreak of malaria has been detected in three provinces.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Beijing wants closer political and trade links with Latam

  

  Chinese Vice-president Xi Jinping currently in Venezuela, the fourth leg of a regional tour hailed the vigorous growth in relations between China and Latin America in recent years and described the pace of cooperation as “unprecedented”, according to reports from Beijing news agencies.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Ocean Nova passengers safely en route to Ushuaia

  

  All 65 passengers on board M/V Ocean Nova which run aground during an Antarctic cruise were safely transferred Wednesday afternoon to M/V Clipper Adventurer, which is currently sailing for Ushuaia, Argentina, reported the Argentine Navy and operator Quark expeditions.

• Tuesday, February 17th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  “Civic spirit” of Venezuela's vote praised by US

  The United States cautiously welcomed Venezuela's Sunday referendum vote to scrap limits on how often politicians, including President Hugo Chavez, can run for office.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela's Chavez wins unlimited re-election vote

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has won the Sunday referendum to eliminate term limits, paving the way for a new re-election in 2012 - and beyond - and push through his vision of a Socialist nation

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean opposition presidential candidate ahead in polls

  

  The Chilean Concertación ruling coalition official presidential candidate Eduardo Frei would stand eight points behind conservative presidential hopeful Sebastián Piñera in the event of a run off next January, (following December's first round) according to TNS-Time public opinion poll taken between January 12 and 31st.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Evo Morales in Moscow to sign gas development deal

  

  Evo Morales has become the first Bolivian President to visit Russia, after touching down in Moscow on Sunday. Morales is expected to sign crucial natural gas cooperation agreements and seek aid to combat drugs.
  
  The visit is also viewed as another sign of Russia's increased interest in Latin America.
  
  Morales told reporters on Friday that he would discuss the immediate purchase of helicopters and loans of other aircraft to fight coca production when he visits Russia.