Latin America

• Tuesday, November 30th 2010 - 05:49 UTC

  OAS and Caricom validate Sunday’s election in Haiti in spite of fraud allegations

  

  The Organization of American States, OAS, and the countries of the Caribbean Common Market, Caricom, have validated Sunday’s presidential election despite irregularities that generated protests and allegations of fraud.

• Monday, November 29th 2010 - 20:01 UTC

  Unasur ban‘huge negative impact’ on Falkland Islands?

  

  “A HUGE negative impact on us,” is how one Falklands fishing company views the Union of South American Nations’ declared intention to close their ports to Falklands flagged vessels, or in their words, ‘the illegal flag of the Malvinas’.

• Monday, November 29th 2010 - 06:49 UTC

  Haiti presidential candidates claim elections were rigged; UN urges for calm

  

  Unite Nations officials Sunday expressed “deep concern at numerous incidents” that disrupted Haiti's pivotal national elections that saw violence and protests over alleged fraud.

• Saturday, November 27th 2010 - 13:24 UTC

  Ecuador and Colombia re-establish full diplomatic relations

  

  The presidents of Colombia and Ecuador announced Friday they will resume full diplomatic relations after more than two years of estrangement.

• Saturday, November 27th 2010 - 12:06 UTC

  Unasur unable to agree on secretary; closes all ports to ‘illegal’ Malvinas flagged vessels

  

  The presidents of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) meeting at a summit in Guyana paid homage to former president Nestor Kirchner, agreed to incorporate a “democratic clause” to the group’s charter, left for next month a decision on who will be named the next secretary general and had a special mention to the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the UK. Argentina also revealed that the post should be occupied by an Argentine.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 14:55 UTC

  Lula da Silva promises energy, communications and trade aid for Guyana

  

  Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced Friday an ambitious integration program for its northern neighbor Guyana, on the sidelines of a regional presidential summit taking place in Georgetown.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 14:47 UTC

  Venezuela pays 690m USD for 81% of French Casino supermarkets in the country

  

  Venezuela agreed to pay Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA 690 million US dollars for an 81% stake in the Saint-Etienne, France-based company’s local supermarkets, said Elias Jaua, vice president of the Venezuela’s official news agency, AVN.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 05:39 UTC

  Unasur ministers reach consensus on a “democratic clause”

  

  Unasur Foreign Affairs ministers meeting in Guyana reached on Thursday a consensus on a “democratic clause” to be incorporated to the group’s charter with the purpose of preventing coups in the region. The draft will be officially presented to the twelve nations’ presidential summit.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 02:18 UTC

  Uruguay’s Lower House approves Unasur; Senate votes next Tuesday

  

  Uruguay’s Lower House approved on Thursday the Unasur (Union of South American Nations) constitution protocol sending a strong message of support to the group’s summit in Guyana.

• Thursday, November 25th 2010 - 21:25 UTC

  First time ever woman president (for a few days) in Uruguay

  

  Uruguay’s First Lady and speaker of the main Senate group in the ruling coalition Lucia Topolansky will be sworn as interim president on Friday, the first woman-president in the history of the Uruguayan democracy.