Latin America

• 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.

• Friday, October 12th 2012 - 16:05 UTC

  Paraguayan Senate rejects Unasur document used as basis to sanction the country

  

  By an overwhelming majority, 36 to 1 and eight absences, the Paraguayan Senate rejected the Unasur Commitment with Democracy Additional Protocol considering it contrary to the sovereign interests of the country and which was the argument used by the regional organization to sanction and suspend Paraguay.

• Friday, October 12th 2012 - 15:56 UTC

  Low key talks with some Unasur members to lift sanctions on Paraguay

  

  Paraguay is involved in low key negotiations with the region to find a way for the quick return of the country to Unasur and Mercosur, and Chile and Colombia are playing crucial roles in such discussions, according to media reports from Asuncion.

• Friday, October 12th 2012 - 06:23 UTC

  Uruguay signs offshore contracts with oil companies: BP, BG, Total and Tullow

  

  The Uruguayan government has signed offshore exploration and production deals with British oil firms BG Group, BP plc, Ireland’s Tullow Oil and France's Total. The companies awarded 30-year concession contracts in April for the eight oil blocks - three each for BG and BP and one each for Tullow and Total - have committed to investing a total of roughly 1.56 billion dollars.