Latin America

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Latam forecasted to expand 4.7% in 2008; Argentina 7%

  Latin America's economy will grow at 4.7% in 2008 compared with 5.7% last year, the United Nations Latin American and Caribbean Economic Commission, CEPAL, estimated this week, reaffirming growth targets trimmed in March.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Battered Chilean salmon industry targets Magallanes

  Chile's Magallanes XII Region in the extreme south of the country looks to play an increasingly active role in Chile's 2.2 billion US dollars salmon industry as overcrowding and disease problems in Region X have producers looking south for greener pastures.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Outside support for beleaguered Bolivian president Evo Morales

  Leaders from four Latin American countries rejected Wednesday a controversial autonomy bid by a region of Bolivia, which was described by |President Evo Morales as “illegal” and intended to destabilize the country.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguayan pleads guilty of acting as Chavez agent in US

  The Uruguayan national Wanseele Paciello, 40, pleaded guilty before a federal US court in Miami of acting as an agent for the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in covering up a plot to influence Argentina's presidential election.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Lack of rains forecasts energy rationing in Chile

  Chile seems to be inevitably heading for a serious energy shortage in the coming months with electricity rationing almost a certain possibility because of the hydrological conditions suffered by the country under the full impact of the Pacific Ocean La Niña current.

• Thursday, April 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Punta Arenas airport marks record passenger growth

  Passenger traffic in Punta Arenas airport, extreme south of Chile, increased 14% during 2007 according to statistics supplied by the head of the air terminal, Juan Carlos Oneto.

• Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Bachelet calls for a regional security and defence policy

  Chilean president Michelle Bachelet invited Army chiefs from Mercosur and associate countries to consider the development of a common security and defense policy for Latinamerica.

• Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Paramilitary links closer to Colombian president Uribe

  In spite of running on a sustained high wave of public opinion support, --the best performance of any leader in the Americas--, Colombia's Alvaro Uribe this week faced a major challenge when his cousin, political ally and former Senator Mario Uribe Escobar was taken into custody for allegedly colluding with rightwing paramilitary groups.

• Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Colombia confirms full support to tough anti guerrilla policy

  Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe and, to a lesser extent, Ecuador's Rafael Correa were the Latinamerican leaders with the greatest approval rating in March according to the latest public opinion poll from the renowned consultants Mitofsky with results published in the Mexican press on Monday.

• Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Patagonian toothfish farming project takes off in Chile

  La Araucana Education Corporation and four private Chilean companies are undertaking a Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) farming project which is to be officially launched this week involving more than 2.2 million US dollars.