Latin America

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 06:45 UTC

  Protesting students clash with police in Santiago: 49 police injured and 75 arrests

  

  Police in Santiago used water cannons and tear gas as thousands of students took to the streets, raging against the government's policy on education. Vandals set buses ablaze and attacked government property amid violence that left 49 Carabineros injured and 75 people arrested.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 06:38 UTC

  Chilean inflation flat in July; accumulates 2.5% in the last 12 months

  

  The Chilean consumer price index showed no variation in July in contrast to the surprise 0.3% drop in June, as increases in food and non-alcoholic drinks offset falls in clothing, footwear and utilities, according to the national statistics agency INE.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 06:33 UTC

  Venezuela inflation slows down for seventh month running: 19.4% in last 12 months

  

  Venezuela's annual inflation slowed for a seventh straight month in July, coming in below 20% for the first time in years. Finance Minister Jorge Giordani said annual inflation to July was 19.4% percent, below the 20 to 22% estimated in the government's budget for this year.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 06:29 UTC

  Venezuelan currency overvalued by 83% according to the Big Mac index

  

  The Big Mac index computed by The Economist showed that the Venezuelan Bolivar is the most overvalued currency worldwide with respect to the US dollar, reflecting the imbalance of the Venezuelan economy.

• Thursday, August 9th 2012 - 06:18 UTC

  Seventeen nations in military exercise for the protection of the Panama Canal

  

  This year’s PANAMAX exercise kicked off on Monday involving representatives from 17 hemispheric countries with the purpose of practicing methods of protecting the safe passage of commercial traffic through the Panama Canal while ensuring its neutrality and respecting national sovereignty.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 18:21 UTC

  Paraguay to appeal Mercosur sanctions before the The Hague Court of Justice

  

  The Paraguayan government had decided to appeal before the International Court of Justice in The Hague the suspension imposed on Paraguay by the governments of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay as a sanction for the removal of Fernando Lugo as president of the country, last June 22.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 18:16 UTC

  Panama Canal unveils new tolls structure and increases some categories

  

  Following the recommendation from the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), the Panamanian government approved this week the proposal to restructure the Panama Canal's pricing system.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 07:12 UTC

  Unasur special committee presents this week report on Paraguay’s political situation

  

  The special Unasur commission that is monitoring and following political events in Paraguay since the removal of Fernando Lugo as president and his replacement by Federico Franco, is expected to make a first presentation next Thursday said Peruvian Foreign affairs minister Rafael Roncagliolo.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2012 - 06:51 UTC

  Chile announces plan to improve living conditions of the indigenous Mapuche peoples

  

  In a special cabinet meeting last Friday, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera proposed a series of measures aimed at improving infrastructure and human investment in the south-central Araucanía region.

• Tuesday, August 7th 2012 - 15:24 UTC

  Norwegian organization to help with demining in the Chile-Peru border

  

  Chilean and Peruvian authorities meet Friday in Lima with the humanitarian organization Norwegian People’s Aid which will be responsible for the demining of the two countries border area, announced Peruvian Foreign minister Rafael Roncaglio.