Latin America

• Tuesday, February 8th 2011 - 01:18 UTC

  Brazil reaffirms links with Venezuela; calls for quick Mercosur integration

  

  Brazil expects Venezuela’s full incorporation to Mercosur to be approved “soon” said Foreign Affairs minister Antonio Patriota during a meeting on Monday in Caracas with his peer Nicolas Maduro in Caracas to reaffirm strong bilateral links.

• Tuesday, February 8th 2011 - 01:08 UTC

  EU top official says “this is the moment” for a trade agreement with Mercosur

  

  European Union Trade commissioner Karel de Gutch said Monday he strongly believes the EU will reach a trade agreement with Mercosur because “this is the moment” and both sides are committed to conclude negotiations positively.

• Monday, February 7th 2011 - 18:22 UTC

  Toledo consolidates as main candidate for Peru’s presidential election in April

  

  Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo has extended his lead ahead of 10 April’s presidential election with Keiko Fujimori possibly disputing the second round, according to a public opinion poll by Lima-based Datum International.

• Monday, February 7th 2011 - 18:13 UTC

  Chile, Venezuela and Argentina among the three most overweight in South America

  

  A recent international study found that Chile is among the three most overweight countries in South America and that Chile’s women have the second highest body mass index (BMI) on the continent. Chile’s men have the third highest.

• Monday, February 7th 2011 - 18:07 UTC

  US condemns South American/Arab leaders summits, say Wikileaks cables

  

  Brazilian policy towards Middle East and the Arab world harm US strategy in the region according to US embassy diplomatic cables between 2004 and 2009, recently exposed by Wikleaks.

• Monday, February 7th 2011 - 16:41 UTC

  High level talks with Chile for a Pacific outlet for landlocked Bolivia

  

  Chile and Bolivia begin talks Monday in La Paz on a 13 point agenda agreed in 2006 and which among other issues includes the landlocked country’s aspiration to recover its outlet to the Pacific lost during a regional war in 1879.

• Monday, February 7th 2011 - 14:01 UTC

  Chilean wine exports recover in 2010 and reach 1.5 billion US dollars

  

  Last year was a great year for Chilean wine exports. Despite the drop in wine exports that followed the 2008 financial crisis, in 2010 the wine industry reported sales of 1.5 billion US dollars, a 12.4% increase over 2009.

• Sunday, February 6th 2011 - 08:08 UTC

  South American/Arab leaders’ summit in Peru suspended

  

  The III South America/Arab (Aspa) countries leaders’ summit scheduled for mid February in Peru has been postponed announced in Cairo the Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Ben Heli.

• Saturday, February 5th 2011 - 08:34 UTC

  Former president leads vote intention for April Peruvian general elections

  

  A former president, an ex mayor and the daughter of an ousted president lead the public opinion polls for Peru’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for April 10th.

• Saturday, February 5th 2011 - 03:29 UTC

  Piñera reaffirms Chile’s commitment to Antarctica, the continent of the future

  

  President Sebastian Piñera described Antarctica as the continent of the future and confirmed Chile’s commitment to the values of peace and environment conservation represented by the southern pole mass.