Latin America

• Thursday, March 15th 2012 - 03:24 UTC

  Chile/UK respect ‘legitimate differences’ but say NO to a blockade of the Faklands

  

  Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne and Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Alfredo Moreno agreed to respect their legitimate differences regarding the Argentine/UK dispute over the Falklands’ sovereignty but also emphasized the Chilean (and other Mercosur members) position contrary to an economic blockade of the Islands or isolating its population.

• Thursday, March 15th 2012 - 02:52 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez censors television program; former CNN reporter privileged witness

  

  A former CNN in Spanish journalist Alberto Padilla was a privileged witness of censorship in Argentina, minutes before he was to be interviewed by a television channel in Buenos Aires: “the order to stop the program came directly from (Federal planning) minister De Vido”.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2012 - 05:36 UTC

  Last Americas Summit without Cuba, agree Argentina and Brazil

  

  Argentina and Brazil Foreign Affairs ministers said in Sao Paulo both countries are committed that the next Summit of the Americas to be held in April in Colombia is the last without the participation of Cuba.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2012 - 01:54 UTC

  Heroic Age remembered in Punta Arenas

  

  Three plaques remembering prominent explorers of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Discovery, who used the Chilean port of Punta Arenas as their home base when carrying out Antarctic explorations, have been unveiled at the entrance to the Arturo Prat port terminal in downtown Punta Arenas.

• Wednesday, March 14th 2012 - 00:07 UTC

  Brazil turns protectionist: wants Mexico to limit car exports to 1.4bn in three years

  

  Brazil's government wants Mexico to impose quotas on its own auto exports to the South American nation to ensure the total value does not exceed 1.4 billion dollars over the next three years, the development, industry and foreign trade ministry said.

• Tuesday, March 13th 2012 - 07:21 UTC

  “Argentina completely ignores the Mercosur treaty and spirit” says Uruguay

  

  Uruguayan Vice-president Danilo Astori strongly criticized the current situation in Mercosur blasting protectionist measures of both Argentina and Brazil, which together with Paraguay are full members of the block

• Tuesday, March 13th 2012 - 07:09 UTC

  Exceptional rainfall and flash floods leave Punta Arenas under water

  

  Sunday rains and flash floods in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile have left an estimated 800 people homeless forcing the city to close schools while the local chapter of the National Emergency office, Onemi, raised the alarm level from orange (moderate) to red (maximum).

• Tuesday, March 13th 2012 - 00:58 UTC

  Morales defends Bolivians right to chew coca leaves at UN anti-drugs meeting

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales defended Bolivians' right to chew coca leaves, the main ingredient of cocaine, on Monday, saying it was an ancient tradition and the world's No. 3 cocaine producer was working to fight drug trafficking.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 22:17 UTC

  Trade, political refugees and Falklands’ flights in CFK/Piñera summit agenda

  

  Increasing common infrastructure projects such as tunnels and border crossings between Chile and Argentina will be the main motive of this week’s presidential summit between Sebastian Piñera and Cristina Fernandez.

• Monday, March 12th 2012 - 20:49 UTC

  Argentina expected to announce more protectionist measures this week

  

  Argentina plans to intensify its policy of protecting the trade surplus and impeding the outflow of hard currency and this week is expected to add another one hundred tariff positions which will be submitted to an increase in import levies.