Latin America

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 19:45 UTC

  Panama has an estimated 900 million barrels of oil in two basins, confirm surveys

  

  Some 900 million barrels of oil have been detected at two basins in eastern Panama, representing a potential contribution to the country’s coffers of 15 billion dollars over 20 years, the National Energy Secretariat announced.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 19:40 UTC

  Venezuela economy expands 2.5% in 2Q, down from 4.8% in first quarter

  

  Venezuela’s second quarter (2Q) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 2.5%, below the expectations of the Government and below the first quarter GDP’s 4.8% rate, probably indicating that the Government’s effort to prop the economy via fiscal spending is losing steam.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 19:37 UTC

  Colombia Defence minister resigns; deep reshuffle in forces anticipated

  

  Colombia's Defence Minister Rodrigo Rivera resigned Wednesday amid growing criticism of the security forces and increasing attacks by the narco-terrorist rebel groups in the country. Last week it was also revealed that the number of ‘disappeared’ in Colombia is almost 62.000.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 09:03 UTC

  Humala becomes Wall Street ‘darling boy’, and S&P raises Peru’s foreign debt rating

  

  Peru had its foreign debt rating raised one level by Standard & Poor’s, which said it expects recently elected President Ollanta Humala to continue policies that support the country’s economic expansion.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 08:56 UTC

  Cuban Ladies in White claim they are victims of (government sponsored) violent acts

  

  Leaders of the dissident group Ladies in White asked the Catholic Church on Tuesday to intervene before the Cuban government to end what they described as violent acts against them and other human rights activists.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 02:11 UTC

  Chile’s oil corporation to drill ten exploratory wells in Magallanes region

  

  ENAP, Chile’s national oil and gas corporation announced it will invest 30 million dollars in drilling ten exploratory wells in Magallanes province, extreme south Patgonia and where the country’s main hydrocarbons resources are located.

• Wednesday, August 31st 2011 - 00:29 UTC

  Latam and Caribbean exports forecasted to expand 27% this year, says ECLAC

  

  The value of goods exported from Latin America and the Caribbean will grow by 27% in 2011, which is similar to that of last year according to a report presented in Santiago, Chile, by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

• Tuesday, August 30th 2011 - 05:53 UTC

  Carbinero killed Chilean teenager; General, officers and several privates expelled

  

  Following trials with over 500 weapons, Chilean prosecutor Jorge Martínez confirmed that the bullet which killed 16 year old Manuel Gutierrez was fired by the Uzi sub-machinegun carried by Carbineros officer Miguel Millacura on the night of August 25 during the students' protest..

• Tuesday, August 30th 2011 - 03:44 UTC

  Chilean judge investigating Carabineros over killing of student

  

  An officer from Chile’s gendarmerie-police, Carabineros was asked to resign Monday after admitting to using his firearm in the Macul borough of Santiago near where 16-year-old Manuel Gutiérrez Reinoso was shot and killed Thursday night.

• Tuesday, August 30th 2011 - 03:40 UTC

  Falklands’ veteran HMS York under command of possibly her last captain

  

  The man who may be Royal Navy’s Falklands’ veteran HMS York’s last naval captain has taken the helm of the Type 42 destroyer. Commander Rex Cox took over from Commander Simon Staley as the warship undergoes maintenance at Portsmouth, reports The Press from York.