Latin America

• Tuesday, September 13th 2011 - 07:29 UTC

  Guatemala: promising to crack crime, retired general wins first presidential round

  

  A right-wing retired General promising a crackdown on rampant crime leads Guatemala's Sunday presidential election although he fell short of the votes needed to avoid a run-off in November.

• Tuesday, September 13th 2011 - 07:26 UTC

  Fears of a Greek default spread uncertainty to world markets

  

  United States shares staged a late recovery on Monday to post only their second positive close of the month. Earlier, European and Asian markets fell on fears that Greece may default. In Latin America results were much in line with the US.

• Tuesday, September 13th 2011 - 05:33 UTC

  G7 countries lack Unasur “imagination and audacity” to overcome current crisis

  

  The Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Colombian María Emma Mejía said that the region has shown “more imagination and audacity in the measures applied” than G7 countries, which are debating how to get out of the mess they are currently undergoing.

• Tuesday, September 13th 2011 - 00:02 UTC

  Crisis, what crisis? Scotch whisky sales to Central and South America soar 49%

  

  Emerging markets helped boost Scotch whisky exports by 22% in the first half of this year, according to new figures. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said global shipments between January and June reached £1.8bn, up from £1.47bn achieved during the same period in 2010.

• Monday, September 12th 2011 - 21:36 UTC

  UK magazine names hotel in Torres del Paine Park among top 100 best in the Americas

  

  The prestigious British magazine Condé Nast Traveller has nominated the Hotel Salto Chico in Chilean Patagonia among the Americas and Caribbean best hotels.

• Monday, September 12th 2011 - 20:06 UTC

  Former Chilean president Allende remains buried for third time in private ceremony

  

  The Salvador Allende Foundation that the remains of former President Salvador Allende were re-interred last Thursday after being exhumed in May for forensic analysis.

• Monday, September 12th 2011 - 20:00 UTC

  Violent incidents and power cuts in Chile recall the 11 September 1973 military coup

  

  Chile’s Sunday September 11 demonstrations to recall the military coup of 1973 turned violent and left one adolescent with a gun wound, power cuts, dozens of arrests and 350 “outbreaks of violence” in the capital Santiago according to the Carabineros (militarized police) report.

• Monday, September 12th 2011 - 03:17 UTC

  Chile’s Torres del Paine Park, world’s best for outdoor activities, says Wikiexplora

  

  Chilean Patagonia Torres del Paine national park has been nominated as the best place in the world for trekking and outdoor activities according to the latest rating from Wikiexplora, reports Santiago’s El Mercurio.

• Monday, September 12th 2011 - 03:04 UTC

  Corruption in Lula da Silva’s administration widely extended to all branches

  

  US ambassador in Brazil Thomas Shannon said the country suffered from “extended corruption” according to a diplomatic cable a year and a half ago referred to former president Lula da Silva administration and which was recently released by Wikileaks.

• Saturday, September 10th 2011 - 06:41 UTC

  “Politics in my country needs major reform” say 82% of Chilean 20 to 29 youth

  

  Impassioned youth across Chile have taken to the streets by the hundreds of thousands this year to demand radical education reform. Yet four months in, the students are no longer just talking about education costs and access.