Latin America

• Wednesday, February 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Gay marriages and end to travel restrictions in Cuba?

  

  A Cuban minister who accepts gay marriages and a world known revolution-faithful musician hopeful that traveling permits for Cubans wishing to leave or travel to the island are finally eliminated, seem to be evidence of a new tolerant environment in the continent's longest lasting dictatorship.

• Tuesday, February 5th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Strong earthquake shakes Peru-Chile border

  

  A strong earthquake, centered in the Andes mountains, struck Chile Monday afternoon near its borders with Peru and Bolivia.

• Monday, February 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuelan military 'on alert' for possible Colombian threat

  

  President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela's military is on alert for possible threats from Colombia, warning the neighbouring government not to try to stir up an armed conflict.

• Monday, February 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombians protest for end to FARC rebellion

  

  Millions of Colombians dressed in white marched throughout the country and in major cities worldwide today to express outrage at 40 years of violence and kidnapping by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Help for Chilean exporters to counter US dollar meltdown

  

  Chile announced several measures to prop the competitiveness of Chilean exports that have been particularly affected by the international collapse of the US dollar and which has motivated reiterated claims from the industry.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  FARC promises more liberations on eve of world protest

  

  Colombia's FARC rebels pledged Sunday, on the eve of worldwide protests against the cocaine funded radical guerrilla group, to release three hostages in poor health after seven years of captivity in the jungle.

• Sunday, February 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Passengers survive plane crash in Bolivia

  

  A plane carrying more than 150 people crash-landed in a bog in eastern Bolivia last Friday after fierce storms turned it away from its destination and it tried to reach another airport hundreds of miles away, according to officials and news reports. All on board survived.

• Saturday, February 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez devalued and out of tune on his ninth anniversary

  Controversial Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is celebrating this Saturday his ninth year in office but the outspoken, histrionic leader has lost much of his revolutionary élan following his first electoral defeat last December and surrounded by growing problems of internal security, inflation and shortages of food and home supplies.

• Thursday, January 31st 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Castro brothers softly consolidating transition in Cuba

  

  The younger brother of ailing long time Cuban leader Fidel Castro, acting President Raúl Castro was the top vote-getter in Cuban parliamentary elections, according to official results released Wednesday.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chinese company buys into copper and gold mines in Peru

  China's largest metal trader announced this week it had received approval to take control of two Peruvian mines in an operation involving 453 million US dollars.