Latin America

• Thursday, April 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF forecasts 4.4% growth for 2008 in “resilient” Latam

  

  Economic growth in Latinamerica will slow this year and next because of a “mild recession” in the US and turmoil in global financial markets, according to the International Monetary Fund World Outlook report released Wednesday

• Thursday, April 10th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Nuclear super-carrier in the South Atlantic next May

  

  A mighty warrior of the seas, USS George Washington will be visiting Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile next May.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  French hostage mission to leave Colombia

  

  France called off a humanitarian mission Tuesday to treat and possibly free ailing hostage Ingrid Betancourt after Colombian rebels said they wouldn't unilaterally release any more captives.

• Wednesday, April 9th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Japanese Girl, 11, to cycle across South America

  

  An 11-year-old girl from Saitama Prefecture is due to set off on a seven-month journey by bicycle across South America with her parents.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Bachelet talks about double standards for females leaders

  

  After meeting with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Palace late last week, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet spoke firmly about the double standards today's female leaders have to deal with.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile has most “rich-poor” segregated education system

  

  The segregation of rich and poor students in Chile may be the worst in the world, according to a recent Universidad de Chile study confirming what many education leaders already suspected.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivians consider latest James Bond film stigmatizing

  

  Bolivian Culture Deputy Minister Pablo Groux complained this week that Quantum of Solace, the upcoming film about secret agent James Bond, stigmatizes Bolivia as a centre of drug traffic.

• Monday, April 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile cuts taxes to fight highest inflation in decade

  Chile's consumer price index rose 0.8% in March, up from 0.4% in February, according to the latest release from the country's National Statistics Institute (INE). The March figure pushed 12-month inflation to 8.5%, up from the February 8.1%.

• Monday, April 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Paulson calls for more integration and trade with Latam

  

  United States Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson officially opened on Monday the 49th general assembly of the Inter American Development Bank, IDB, calling for greater integration of trade and openness between Latinamerica and the US and warned about what he defined as “protectionist interests”.

• Sunday, April 6th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez nationalizes cement industry; Mexico condemns

  

  Mexico yesterday condemned Venezuela's planned nationalization of the cement industry, which will affect Cemex, a major Mexican company.
  
  “We can only condemn this action,” Finance Minister Agustín Carstens said in the city of Acapulco.