Latin America

• Monday, April 7th 2014 - 05:18 UTC

  Costa Rica faces serious challenge: new president with scant support in congress

  

  A center-left academic who has never held elected office easily won Costa Rica's presidential election on Sunday, ousting the graft-stained ruling party from power after its candidate quit campaigning a month ago. However he will have quite a job ensuring support in Congress.

• Saturday, April 5th 2014 - 04:18 UTC

  Antipersonnel mines day: Central America cleared; in Colombia rebels continue planting them

  

  OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza participated on Friday in Colombia in a ceremony commemorating the International Day against Antipersonnel Mines, where he described the effort and commitment of OAS to eradicate the scourge and bring rehabilitation to survivors as a “high priority.”

• Saturday, April 5th 2014 - 00:52 UTC

  Prince Harry will be visiting Chile and Brazil next June

  

  Prince Harry will undertake two official overseas visits in May and June this year. He will visit Estonia and Italy in May, followed by a visit to Brazil and Chile in June. Both visits are in support of the UK Government and are being organized by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

• Friday, April 4th 2014 - 07:53 UTC

  Latam leaders discuss improving education and skills to help diversity economy

  

  Political, business and academic leaders gathered for the ninth annual World Economic Forum in Latin America in Panama set out strategies for the region to move beyond dependence on commodity exports and face the challenges of a rapidly changing global economy.

• Friday, April 4th 2014 - 05:01 UTC

  Chile assesses extent of earthquake damage; police and military ensure order

  

  Coastal residents of Chile’s far north spent a second sleepless night outside their homes as major aftershocks continued Thursday following a magnitude-8.2 earthquake that damaged several thousand homes and caused six deaths. But no new major damage or casualties were reported, and a heavy police and military presence kept order.

• Friday, April 4th 2014 - 04:35 UTC

  Uruguayan government feels it can tame inflation based on March's index

  

  Inflation in Uruguay during March reached 0.58% accumulating 4.74% in the first quarter and 9.73% in the last twelve months, which is seen as 'positive' and an indication that recent measures to contain prices are 'being successful', according to Economy minister Mario Bergara.

• Thursday, April 3rd 2014 - 07:25 UTC

  Argentina's YPF sells one billion dollars in 10-year bonds at 8.75% rate

  

  Argentina’s nationalized oil and gas producer, YPF, sold 1 billion dollars in a bond sale on Tuesday, the company said in a statement. The 10-year bonds will pay 8.75% interest and were five times oversubscribed, YPF said. The U.S. dollar-denominated securities were issued under Argentine law and was considered a great success by the company.

• Thursday, April 3rd 2014 - 07:03 UTC

  Maduro takes his case to a New York Times column: “a call for peace”

  

  Venezuela: A Call for Peace - By Nicolás Maduro, President of Venezuela - The recent protests in Venezuela have made international headlines. Much of the foreign media coverage has distorted the reality of my country and the facts surrounding the events.

• Thursday, April 3rd 2014 - 06:58 UTC

  Powerful 7.8 magnitude aftershock hits Chile's far north and south Peru

  

  A powerful 7.8-magnitude aftershock hit Chile's far-northern coast on Wednwsday, shaking the same area where a magnitude-8.2 earthquake hit just a day before causing some damage and six deaths.

• Wednesday, April 2nd 2014 - 08:23 UTC

  Venezuelan opposition lawmaker and supporters cleared from square with tear gas

  

  Venezuelan troops dispersed opposition demonstrators with tear gas on Tuesday and blocked anti-government activist Maria Corina Machado, recently stripped of her seat in the National Assembly, from reaching the legislature.