
Hundreds of Cubans paid homage on Saturday to the patron of the country, the Virgin of Copper Charity, at the Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square) the political heart of the island and at the precise point where Pope John Paul II in 1998 held a mass to hundreds of thousands.

Showing off new energy after cancer treatment, Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez hosted Latin American leaders on Friday to create a new regional body that pointedly excludes the United States and Canada.

Argentine and Brazilian presidents Cristina Fernandez and Dilma Rousseff agreed in Caracas the creation of a Productive Integration Mechanism, MIP, to deepen bilateral relations.

Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa again questioned the existence of the Organization of American States, OAS, which should have been disarticulated in 1982 during the Falklands/Malvinas war and insisted that the region’s problems “should be discussed in the region and not in Washington”.

Chile and Uruguay are the least corrupt countries in Latinamerica, while Paraguay and Venezuela are at the other extreme, according to the latest ‘Corruption Perceptions’ Index’ from Transparency International released this week.

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez watered down any hopes of a limitless re-election during her visit to Venezuela stating that “four years more are more than enough”.

Argentine President Cristina Fernández signed on Thursday nineteen cooperation agreements in different fields with her Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas.

Infrastructure and integration investments totalling 13.7 billion dollars in the next ten years to 2022 were announced by the Unasur (Union of South American Nations) infrastructure chapter this week in Brasilia.

The loss of competitiveness with Brazil, the strong devaluation of the Argentine peso, the rigorous foreign exchange controls imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez and their possible impacts on the coming summer season, is some of the main concerns of the Uruguayan tourism industry.

Chile’s Supreme Court has requested the extradition of former US army officer, Capt. Raymond E. Davis, over his alleged involvement in the murder of two US citizens in Chile, days after the coup of 11 September, 1973 that ushered in 17 years of brutal military rule.