Latin America

• Saturday, October 8th 2011 - 08:09 UTC

  Latin America has highest rates of intentional homicide, says UNDOC report

  

  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, has released its first “Global Study on Homicide”, which shows that young men, particularly in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Central and Southern Africa, are at greatest risk of falling victim to intentional homicide.

• Friday, October 7th 2011 - 22:21 UTC

  Predominance of Chinese demand rattles Chile’s economic prospects

  

  Even when the price of copper, Chile’s number one export, only begun to recover Friday of continued consecutive falls, in September and the first week of October the red metal reached its lowest level in 14 months.

• Friday, October 7th 2011 - 18:08 UTC

  IMF tells Latam to be prepared for a “triple shock”, in the worst of scenarios

  

  Latin American policy makers must be prepared to use interest rate cuts and consider fiscal measures to protect their economies in the event that the global economy stalls, the International Monetary Fund said.

• Friday, October 7th 2011 - 05:52 UTC

  Violent clashes in Santiago as students-government negotiations break down

  

  Chilean students marched in downtown Santiago Thursday, clashing with police and blocking traffic for much of the day, after negotiations with the government over education reforms broke down.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 21:59 UTC

  Boost for cruise industry: vessels can operate casinos in Chilean waters

  

  The Chilean Senate unanimously approved this week the bill allowing cruise vessels to operate their onboard casinos while sailing in Chilean waters.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 21:14 UTC

  Mercosur countries rank poorly in Forbes’ “Best Countries for Business”

  

  Mercosur full members (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) rank poorly in the Forbes magazine annual Best Countries for Business, with the best listed, Chile and Peru, in positions 24 and 42, out of 134 countries surveyed worldwide.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 20:25 UTC

  Chile purchases UAV from Israel for border control of contraband and drugs

  

  Chile confirmed it had purchased Israeli manufactured Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which will be used for border surveying to control contraband and drugs. However the UAV won’t be operational for at least another two years.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 20:20 UTC

  Democratic and institutional qualities have dropped in Latam since 2009

  

  Latin America managed economic and social advances since the 2009 international crisis but not in democratic or institutional qualities for the common citizen, according to a report from the German foundation Konrad Adenauer, released this week in Mexico.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 17:55 UTC

  Wikileaks head will participate, via videoconference, in IAPA assembly in Lima

  

  Inter American Press Association (IAPA) reporters, editors and publishers will hear first-hand and discuss exactly what motivated Julian Assange to release secret diplomatic cables through Wikileaks, a Web site that as a source of information has gained as many followers as detractors.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 17:50 UTC

  IPI calls for Latam authorities to protect 12 journalists that received death threats

  

  The International Press Institute warned in Vienna of the dangerous situation that twelve Latin American journalists are undergoing having received death threats, and called con authorities to take measures and avoid further killings.