Latin America

• Tuesday, March 27th 2012 - 11:34 UTC

  Peru ‘one step away’ from ensuring cheap gas supply for the domestic market

  

  President Ollanta Humala announced Peru was “one step away” from reaching a deal with the consortium developing Block 88 of the huge Camisea gas field. The deal would ensure cheap fuel for Peru, for the next 25 to 30 years, reported the official news agency Andina.

• Tuesday, March 27th 2012 - 11:22 UTC

  The Pope next to Castro calls for a future of “freedom and reconciliation” in Cuba

  

  Pope Benedict urged Cubans to build a better, “renewed and open society” on Monday and pressed the Castro brothers regime to give the Catholic Church more liberties to help the country as it faced an uncertain future.

• Tuesday, March 27th 2012 - 03:43 UTC

  Central Chile rattles close to devastating quake of February 2010; 14 injured

  

  Fourteen people were injured and thousands evacuated in central Chile between Valparaiso and the Biobio region after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the country Sunday evening, the Chilean Interior Ministry informed on Monday.

• Tuesday, March 27th 2012 - 02:11 UTC

  The Summit of the Americas will discuss the Falklands/Malvinas issue

  

  The UK/Argentina Falklands/Malvinas dispute is among the short list of topics to be discussed at the coming VI Summit of the Americas, announced on Monday Colombian Foreign Affairs minister Maria Angela Holguin.

• Monday, March 26th 2012 - 09:36 UTC

  Peruvian president joins the controversy on the turning back of HMS Montrose

  

  Peruvian president Ollanta Humala supported Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Roncagliolo following the impasse with the British embassy in Lima that strongly criticized the last minute cancelling of the protocol visit of HMS Montrose to El Callao.

• Monday, March 26th 2012 - 08:41 UTC

  Benedict in Mexico condemns drug trafficking, corruption and ‘futile acts of revenge’

  

  Pope Benedict at a huge outdoor Mass on Sunday condemned drug trafficking and corruption in Mexico, urging people to put aside violence and revenge in the country where a murderous war between cartels has led to tens of thousands of deaths.

• Sunday, March 25th 2012 - 08:37 UTC

  Chavez in Cuba for cancer radiation treatment; promises to be back in several days

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will return to Cuba to begin radiation treatment for cancer on Sunday, but said he was in ‘good shape’ and would be back home in several days.

• Saturday, March 24th 2012 - 08:51 UTC

  Uruguay’s economy slows in fourth quarter but expands a “very good” 5.7% in 2011

  

  Uruguay’s economic growth slowed more than economists forecast in the fourth quarter as a refinery closure and the start of a drought trimmed a nine-year expansion; nevertheless the Central Bank said overall expansion in the twelve months of 2011 was “very good” in the current global context and just short of government’s target.

• Saturday, March 24th 2012 - 03:05 UTC

  Peru regrets HMS Montrose incident and underlines strong relations with the UK

  

  Cabinet Chief Oscar Valdes said that he is sure Peru and UK will be able to overcome a diplomatic rift caused by Lima’s last minute cancellation of a visit to the port of Callao this week of Britain’s HMS Montrose, a navy frigate that has been patrolling the South Atlantic and the Falkland Islands.

• Saturday, March 24th 2012 - 02:52 UTC

  Argentina is facing serious trade problems and Brazil “must help in a mature way”

  

  Argentina is having serious trade problems and Brazil “in a mature way” must try and help solve them said a top official from President Dilma Rousseff administration, who anticipated he would be travelling to Buenos Aires in coming weeks.