
President Dilma Rousseff said British interest in Brazil had come at the right time after her government announced last month a 66 billion dollars investment in road and railway building as part of a massive plan to upgrade her country's dilapidated infrastructure, which includes modernizing ports and airports.

On what he described as the “first and last time” he will address the United Nations General Assembly, the President of Paraguay, Federico Franco, affirmed that his country will not abide by any infringement on its sovereignty.

Foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean will suffer from the economic slowdown that started in the second half of 2011. The value of regional exports will increase by 4% in 2012, whereas imports will grow 3% - according to estimates presented in the new Economic Commission for Latin America study released on Thursday.

Chilean fruit exports to China have experienced a great increase in recent years having jumped 35% in 2011 (over 2010), with a value of 438 million dollars, according to statistics provided to the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, which place Chile as one of the main fruit providers from the southern hemisphere.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday before the UN General Assembly he is cautiously optimistic that his government can reach a peace deal with Marxist rebels. Santos added he wants to return to New York next year and announce that his conflict-battered country has signed a peace agreement.

Venezuela will hike the amount of oil it is sending to India's Reliance Industries and signed a new 15-year supply contract with the company, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez announced this week.

Venezuela’s Bolivarian Armed Forces, FANB, said they are committed to respect “the decision of the people” in the coming presidential election of 7 October but at the same time demanded respect for the institution.

Paraguayan president Federico Franco accused the Venezuelan regime of Hugo Chavez of ‘direct and malicious’ involvement in his country’s affairs in support of a ‘terrorist and criminal’ gang, the Popular Army of Paraguay, EPP, which has committed kidnappings, assaults and killings.

Chilean president Sebastián Piñera promulgated on Wednesday the education review bill which besides increasing funding by a billion dollars reduces from 6% to 2% the interest rate on loans for students to finance their university fees.

Tens of thousands of anti-personnel mines and unexploded live munitions have caused over 10.000 fatal victims since 1990 in Colombia, the year when the country started to take records on accidents with this kind of ordnance, said Vice-president Angelino Garzón.