Latin America

• Wednesday, October 17th 2012 - 04:37 UTC

  After half a century Cuba scraps travel restrictions, but they remain for ‘human talent’

  

  Cuba will scrap much reviled travel restrictions starting in January, easing most Cubans' exit and return, state media said on Tuesday, in the Castro brothers’ regime first major immigration reform in half a century.

• Wednesday, October 17th 2012 - 04:17 UTC

  Colombia peace talks back on schedule and begin Wednesday in Oslo

  

  Colombia's government and Marxist rebels will start peace talks as planned on Wednesday in Oslo in a bid to end nearly half a century of conflict after logistical problems delayed departure of the delegates, Colombia's government said.

• Tuesday, October 16th 2012 - 13:44 UTC

  The message from the Venezuelan elections

  

  By Ambassador R. Viswanathan - The free, fair and peaceful Venezuelan elections on Sunday 7 October, with a clear and accepted outcome has restored the confidence of the world, which had some doubts about the vulnerabilities of Latin American democracies – especially after the constitutional overthrow of President Lugo of Paraguay in June this year and the unconstitutional removal of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya in 2009.

• Monday, October 15th 2012 - 19:11 UTC

  Chile-Argentina qualifier heats up with UK ambassador reference to the Falklands

  

  In an anticipation of Tuesday’s qualifier between Argentina and Chile for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, UK ambassador in Chile Jon Benjamin got muddled in a “twitter incident” involving the Falklands/Malvinas for which later he had to apologize.

• Monday, October 15th 2012 - 07:58 UTC

  Minister confirms talks for re-incorporation of Paraguay to Unasur and Mercosur

  

  Foreign minister Jose Felix Fernandez Estigarribia confirmed the beginning of negotiations for the re-incorporation of Paraguay to Unasur and Mercosur which will take place through the mediation of a Latinamerican country he did not identify.

• Monday, October 15th 2012 - 07:50 UTC

  Brazil good at global PR, but loses ground as an IMF group leader

  

  A good one and a bad one for Brazil: The New York Times announced on Sunday that it will launch an online edition Portuguese language edition in 2013 given the country’s growing global clout, but on the other hand Brazil’s nine nation constituency at the IMF will lose a member, Colombia that will join Mexico.

• Monday, October 15th 2012 - 07:32 UTC

  Colombian government and guerrillas begin this week peace talks in Oslo

  

  Colombia's government and rebel guerrillas will sit down this week in Norway, and later in Cuba, to start peace talks aimed at ending nearly half a century of conflict, a task to which both sides have anticipated their full commitment.

• Monday, October 15th 2012 - 07:19 UTC

  Norwegian financed team of experts begins demining in Chile-Peru border areas

  

  A group of experts from Norway begins on Monday demining tasks along the Chile-Peru border which are expected to last for at least two months, according to a release from the Chilean Foreign Ministry.

• Monday, October 15th 2012 - 07:06 UTC

  Chilean student demonstrations leaders honoured with human rights prize in US

  

  Two student leaders who have been at the head of the 18 months long demonstrations in Chile demanding an overhaul of the education system will be honoured this week with the 2012 Letelier-Moffit Human Rights Prize in representation of the Chilean Students Federation.

• Saturday, October 13th 2012 - 08:42 UTC

  Tens arrested in violent clashes during Chilean students’ protests in Santiago

  

  Demonstrations of thousands of students that turned out to the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities to demand better education, ended in violent clashes with riot police which had to appeal to tear gas, water cannons and paint guns to later identify protestors, tens of which were later detained.