Latin America

• Monday, October 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile de-mining with sophisticated Pentagon equipment

  

  The first week of November the Chilean Ministry of Public Works in coordination with the Chilean Army are scheduled to begin a new de-mining phase in the extreme north of the country to continue eliminating antipersonnel and anti tank mines, reports the Santiago de Chile press.

• Sunday, October 19th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Strong confidence message from Latam central bankers

  

  Latinamerican Central bank presidents and leading economists said on Sunday the region is well prepared to face growing global financial turbulence and agreed to share information on monetary and financial markets.

• Friday, October 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil and Mexico inject US dollars to sustain currencies

  Brazil Central Bank announced on Thursday further measures to ensure liquidity and support the local currency Real. The bank expanded the list of securities it will accept to free up reserve requirements on term deposits and took new measures to ensure that banks that borrow from its discount window provide credit lines to exporters

• Friday, October 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean unofficial hopeful presidential candidates line up

  Though ostensibly keeping a low profile until this month's municipal elections are over, Chile's main political parties are showing unmistakable signs of intra-party conflict regarding the 2009 presidential race

• Friday, October 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Latam estimated to grow 3% in 2009, says IDB

  Latinamerica will grow 3% in 2009, below the 4 to 4.5% forecasted for this year said on Friday the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Luis Alberto Moreno.
  
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• Friday, October 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Mexico returns to UN Security Council next January

  The General Assembly elected Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting on 1 January next year.

• Friday, October 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Czechs helping to reforest Torres del Paine devastated area

  Chile's Forestry Corporation, Conaf is reforesting the 15.000 hectares from the world famous Torres del Paine national park in Chilean Pataogonia which were devastated by fire in February 2005, according to Punta Arenas La Prensa Austral.

• Friday, October 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Miami trial reveals “rampant corruption” in Venezuela deals

  

  The partner of a wealthy Venezuelan businessman on trial for his alleged involvement in a Latin American political cash scandal said Friday they were both deeply involved in rampant government corruption in their home country.

• Thursday, October 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Mexico lost 10% of international reserves to prop the Peso

  

  The Mexican peso closed trading Wednesday at 12.74 to the US dollar, compared to 12.50 on Tuesday, with a depreciation of 1.8% having oscillated up to 12.82. The central bank on Wednesday morning auctioned 400 million US dollars as had been anticipated by government officials.

• Thursday, October 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean Navy confirms killing of British priest in 1973

  

  Despite decades of denial surrounding the kidnapping, torture and death of British-Chilean priest Michael Woodward, a retired Chilean Navy official has admitted that the priest died aboard the school ship “Esmeralda”.