Latin America

• Saturday, July 20th 2013 - 05:07 UTC

  Lessons from India Jindal’s Bolivian investment failure

  

  Jindal’s integrated mining and steel project in Bolivia was the largest contract secured by an Indian company in Latin America. The project, which ultimately became a victim of the country's domestic politics, has lessons for Indian companies venturing into Latin America.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 06:34 UTC

  Kirchnerite candidates in four main districts ahead of mid term election trail behind

  

  The latest round of public opinion polls for the coming mid term elections next October in Argentina don’t fare well for President Cristina Fernandez particularly in the country’s four main electoral circumscriptions, Buenos Aires province, Buenos Aires City, Santa Fe and Cordoba.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 06:29 UTC

  Pope Francis wants direct contact with the crowds when he visits Brazil next week

  

  Pope Francis will not use bullet-proof ‘Pope-mobiles’ on his visit to Brazil next week to allow him more direct contact with crowds despite the security risks, according to a Vatican release.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 06:26 UTC

  Piñera wants a ‘ladies fight’ for the coming November presidential election

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera defended the need for an only candidate in the ruling coalition for the coming presidential election of November and considered it should be a woman, suggesting the name of Labour minister Evelyn Matthei.

• Friday, July 19th 2013 - 02:43 UTC

  Fiona Clouder appointed new British ambassador to Chile

  

  Fiona Clouder has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to Chile, announced the Foreign Office. Ms Clouder will succeed Mr Jon Benjamin, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Clouder will take up her appointment during February 2014.

• Thursday, July 18th 2013 - 09:08 UTC

  President-elect demands rule of the law before Paraguay returns as active Mercosur member

  

  Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes confirmed that his government will insist in its position regarding Mercosur, which expects Paraguay to return as full active member following the inauguration ceremony 15 August.

• Thursday, July 18th 2013 - 09:03 UTC

  Bachelet running alone; Chilean conservatives have to decide on a new candidate

  

  Chilean conservative presidential candidate Pablo Longueira unexpectedly quit his campaign due to depression, his son said, dealing another blow to an already weakened right-wing bloc four months from the general election.

• Thursday, July 18th 2013 - 08:26 UTC

  Venezuelan parliament approves incorporation of Bolivia to Mercosur as full member

  

  The Venezuelan parliament approved Bolivia’s protocol of adherence to Mercosur as full member thus clearing the way for the landlocked mostly indigenous populated country to become the sixth member of the South American trade block next to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

• Wednesday, July 17th 2013 - 20:21 UTC

  Latin America becoming prime destination for medical tourism

  

  The high cost of healthcare has created the lucrative phenomenon of medical tourism. An IPK International survey revealed roughly 3% of the world’s population travels to foreign countries for medical treatment, while Patients Beyond Borders, which publishes international medical travel guidebooks, reported the medical tourism industry is a 40 billion dollars a year business.

• Wednesday, July 17th 2013 - 20:04 UTC

  Successful fracking for tight gas in Tierra del Fuego, announces Chile’s ENAP

  

  Chile’s government oil and gas company, ENAP, confirmed a successful experiment with hydraulic fracturing to extract non conventional tight gas at the Arenal Block in Tierra del Fuego, where the company operates with no partners.