Latin America

• Saturday, January 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Bird flu: US/Chile coordinate detection in Tierra del Fuego

  

  A United States delegation from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Department of Agriculture) visited Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego to coordinate efforts with their Chilean counterparts in preventing the appearance of invasive pathologies, particularly avian influenza (H5N1 strain) or bird flu.

• Saturday, January 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez lobbying for Colombia's FARC stirs new controversy

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has stirred up controversy by calling on United States and European governments to stop treating the cocaine funded Colombian rebel groups, which are holding hundreds of hostages, as terrorists.

• Saturday, January 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile expects 700.000 foreign tourists in Jan/February

  Chile expects 700.000 foreign and overseas Chileans tourists this summer, up 10% over the same period a year ago, which are expected to inject 400 million US dollars to the economy, according to estimates from the National Tourism Office, Sernatur.

• Thursday, January 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela interested in Antarctica and its rich resources

  

  Venezuela prepares to move into Antarctica following the naming of a “Presidential Commission on Antarctica” with the purpose of advising President Hugo Chavez on an official policy on the matter.

• Thursday, January 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Two women Colombian hostages to be released Thursday

  

  Colombia's government on Wednesday approved a mission sponsored by Venezuela to free two hostages held by cocaine funded leftist rebels, said a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

• Thursday, January 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean exporters howling: US dollar falling to 480 pesos

  

  With the US dollar in free fall the Chilean Association of Exporters, ASOEX have called on the country's authorities so that “once and for all they understand the situation that vast sectors of the Chilean economy are experiencing, particularly small and medium enterprises which represent a significant number of jobs”.

• Thursday, January 10th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Freedom at last for FARC hostages in Colombia

  

  Colombian rebels freed two women held hostage for more than five years, handing them over Thursday to Venezuelan officials who flew them to Caracas where a triumphant President Hugo Chavez awaited

• Wednesday, January 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  P Arenas abattoir geared for Arab clients looks to Mecca

  Next January 17 Chilean Minister of Agriculture Alvaro Rojas will inaugurate an abattoir for sheep in Punta Arenas which has been specifically conditioned for Islamic markets. The slaughtering space looks towards Mecca the holiest of all Islamic cities which is an advantage to for selling to Arab countries.

• Wednesday, January 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean government aid for Magallanes private sector

  Almost five million US dollars in development funds were delivered last year to 519 companies in Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile, which represents a 30% increase over 2006.

• Wednesday, January 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Norwegian company suspends energy project in Chile

  Norwegian energy company SN Power recently agreed to temporarily suspend activities on its southern Chile Region XIV hydroelectric project due to vocal opposition from local indigenous groups.