Latin America

• Friday, May 18th 2012 - 09:39 UTC

  Brazil closely following events in Venezuela because of Chavez condition

  

  Brazilian Foreign Affairs minister Antonio Patriota revealed that Brasilia is following closely the situation in Venezuela because of the medical condition of President Hugo Chavez, to whom he sent a message of quick recovery.

• Friday, May 18th 2012 - 09:24 UTC

  Chile leaves basic rate unchanged at 5% for the fourth month running

  

  Chile’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 5% for a fourth consecutive month as surging domestic demand and deterioration in the global economy leave little scope to change monetary policy.

• Thursday, May 17th 2012 - 11:48 UTC

  World Bank chief economist warns Latam of the “middle-income trap”

  

  In what would be his last speech as part of the organization, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank Justin Lin held a conference at the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago de Chile.

• Thursday, May 17th 2012 - 11:18 UTC

  Colombia’s oil company overtakes Petrobras as Latam’s largest company in market value

  

  Colombia’s national oil and gas corporation Ecopetrol has become Latin America's biggest company by market value, overtaking Brazil's mighty Petrobras.

• Thursday, May 17th 2012 - 10:35 UTC

  Raul Castro daughter’s expected at US university for a lecture on sexology

  

  President Raúl Castro's daughter is scheduled to visit California next week to speak at a conference of experts on Latin America during a rare US trip by a member of Cuba's ruling family.

• Thursday, May 17th 2012 - 10:30 UTC

  Thousands of students take to the streets of Santiago calling for a fairer and quality education

  

  Tens of thousands of students demonstrated on the streets of Chile's capital Wednesday seeking an overhaul of what they call one of the world's priciest and most unfair educational systems.

• Thursday, May 17th 2012 - 10:17 UTC

  Argentina en route to become the “Greece of Latin America” claim Chilean exporters

  

  Argentina could rapidly become the “Greece of Latin America” given the trade restrictions it has imposed born out of the lack of sufficient hard currency to face its international commitments, according to Chile’s Manufacturing and Services Exporters Association, Roberto Fantuzzi.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:27 UTC

  Brazilian discomfort: ends automatic import licences for Argentine perishables

  

  Brazil this week escalated a growing trade fight with Argentina by increasing the bureaucratic obstacles for importing about 10 perishable products including apples, raisins, and potatoes, a senior Brazilian government official was quoted by the media.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:15 UTC

  Colombia/US free trade agreement expected to create 100.000 jobs per year

  

  The long-delayed free-trade deal between Colombia and the United States came into force on Tuesday, a step that should boost the country’s exports and foreign investment, President Juan Manuel Santos said.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 00:59 UTC

  Deadly attack against former minister in the heart of Bogotá kills 2, injures dozens

  

  A bomb targeting a hard-line former Colombian interior minister killed two of his bodyguards and injured at least 31 others in the heart of Bogotá’s uptown commercial district Tuesday, authorities said.