
The Caracas Court of Appeals rejected on Friday the defense attorney's plea for the release of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, locked up in a military prison since last Feb. 18, Venezuela's Supreme Court said Friday.

By Leopoldo López - Los Teques, Venezuela — As I compose these words from the Ramo Verde military prison outside Caracas, I am struck by how much Venezuelans have suffered.

Shareholders of Spain's Repsol approved the oil major's 5 billion dollars settlement with Argentina over the 2012 seizure of YPF at an annual meeting on Friday. The agreement had already been approved by the Argentine Congress and by the board of the Spanish company.

The UN resolution condemning the annexation of Crimea by Russia which was voted on Thursday at the general assembly showed Latin America (and Mercosur) divided on the issue. The non binding resolution sponsored by Costa Rica and the western powers received 100 votes, with 11 against and 58 abstentions.

Cuba's government has released further information on a proposed foreign investment law that will cut the profits tax in half and exempt investors from paying it for eight years in an attempt to attract capital into the communist economy.

Public life in Paraguay was largely paralyzed on Wednesday by a nationwide strike in demand of higher salaries and against the privatization plans of President Horacio Cartes. Peasants also joined the stoppage and marched on the capital Asunción protesting against the soy-agri-business which is leaving them landless.

The 50,000 square kilometers of maritime space Peru gained from the favorable ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, on the border dispute with Chile, have a potential fishing activity that includes 200,000 tons of Peruvian squid, according to the country's Sea Institute, (Imarpe).

The lower house of Brazil’s Congress has approved legislation meant to ensure the privacy of Internet users and to guarantee what is called “Internet neutrality”, that all content be treated equally by carriers. But it dropped a demand that all data on Brazilians be saved within the country.

High level delegates from twelve British universities visited Chile the week of 17 March to deepen their partnerships with the country, becoming the first large international education delegation to visit under the new Chilean government of President Michelle Bachelet.

Argentina is advancing in negotiations with Israel for the purchase of the multi-purpose combat aircraft Kfir Block 60, which is supposed to replace the aging Mirage III, on service for over four decades.