Latin America

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 16:33 UTC

  Chilean politicians’ expertise helps democratic transition in Egypt

  

  As upheaval continues across the Middle East, the path towards democracy is far from clear. A civil war is raging in Libya as protests become deadly in Syria. The leader
  of Yemen is negotiating his removal from power, and Saudi Arabian forces have been called in to help “maintain order” on the streets of Bahrain.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 06:47 UTC

  Number of Chileans travelling abroad by air in summer doubled in ten years

  

  The number of Chileans choosing to travel abroad by air in the summer months has increased by 17% from last year, and is double the number who travelled in 2001.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 01:54 UTC

  Mujica: we need Venezuela in Mercosur “to help balance the group”

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica promised his peer Hugo Chavez he would press strongly for Venezuela’s incorporation as full member of Mercosur because this will help balance the group.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 01:37 UTC

  In spite of Mercosur “unfulfilled agenda”, there will be trade agreement with EU

  

  Uruguay’s Vice-president Danilo Astori said that Mercosur “unfulfilled agenda” will not affect the chances of reaching an agreement with the European Union which if finally achieved will also help the “block to work better”.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 01:19 UTC

  Mexico interested in joining “the successful Unasur club”

  

  Mexico is interested in joining Unasur, Union of South American Nations, according to the country’s Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Ruben Beltrán. “When a club is successful one wants to join in”, said Beltran during a visit to Quito where he met Unasur officials.

• Thursday, March 31st 2011 - 23:57 UTC

  Jimmy Carter calls for the end of US embargo and democracy in Cuba

  

  Former US president Jimmy Carter - on a visit to Cuba - has criticized US policy towards the island. Carter said the decades-long US trade embargo and travel ban damaged the Cuban people and hindered rather than helped reform.
  He also urged the Cuban government to move towards democracy and allow complete freedom of speech.

• Thursday, March 31st 2011 - 14:00 UTC

  Chavez warns: if capitalism returns to Venezuela, it’s the end of oil cooperation

  

  President Hugo Chavez confirmed he would run for re-election in 2012 and made a strong call for regional unity warning that “if capitalism returns to Venezuela” it would mark the end of oil cooperation.

• Thursday, March 31st 2011 - 07:38 UTC

  Chavez blasts alliance bombing Libya; signs agreements with Uruguay

  

  Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez said on Wednesday during a press conference in Montevideo that the Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi “is doing what has to be done, resisting an imperial aggression” and added that “it’s not anticipated that he has plans to leave Libya”.

• Thursday, March 31st 2011 - 01:40 UTC

  Humala leads in Peruvian presidential race but run-off chances are “unlikely”

  

  Presidential election races in Peru have a history of being unpredictable. What initially seemed to be a three-way battle to succeed outgoing president Alan Garcia now appears to be a five-way tussle ahead of the first round of voting on April 10 according to a report from Capital Economics.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2011 - 05:14 UTC

  Argentina honours Chavez with press freedom award for fighting “media monopolies”

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was given a press freedom award during his visit on Tuesday to Argentina. The University of La Plata said it was honouring him for his efforts to break “media monopolies” in Latin America and support “popular communication”.