Latin America

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 18:35 UTC

  Ecuador arrests alleged ring leaders of police revolt; denies US involvement

  

  At least 46 Ecuador's national police members were arrested for their possible involvement in last week's revolt that the administration of President Rafael Correa called a 'coup attempt' which included the 'assassination' of the Head of State, the office of the public prosecutor informed.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 18:06 UTC

  Chile tries to cool escalating conflict with Argentina

  

  Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno said Wednesday he would not make any further comments involving the serious controversy which erupted following Argentina’s decision to deny extradition of a Chilean guerrilla fighter charged with the killing of a Senator and kidnapping the son of a media owner in 1991 when democracy had been restored to Chile.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 17:39 UTC

  IMF and Kirchner administration agree: economy to expand strongly 2010/11

  

  The International Monetary Fund warned of considerably high price index inflation and seemed sceptic of official GDP growth reports in Argentina as it presented its World Economic Outlook report, although it forecast a 7.5 percent growth, with a strong expansion partly due to the favourable global scenery and a strong trade with Brazil.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 05:22 UTC

  President Piñera’s cousin and Senator says the Kirchners are not to be trusted

  

  A leading Chilean Conservative Senator said on Tuesday it is going to be very difficult to have a confidence relation “with the Argentine government, the President and the Kirchner couple” and described Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman as someone who lacks “human and intellectual category”.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 05:20 UTC

  Chile freezes relation and calls off series of meetings with Argentina

  

  Chilean Argentine relations deteriorated seriously on Tuesday when the government of President Sebastian Piñera announced they were calling off a series of meetings at Foreign Affairs ministerial level following on Buenos Aires decision to grant political asylum to a former guerrilla fighter.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 05:16 UTC

  Correa extends state of emergency and Army replaces police as Congress guards

  

  Ecuador's government extended a state of emergency and soldiers replaced the police as the force that guards Congress after a deadly revolt by some officers last week over a new law cutting their bonuses.

• Wednesday, October 6th 2010 - 05:13 UTC

  Chavez rejects claims Spanish ETA terrorists were trained in Venezuela

  

  Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez dismissed claims from Spain that two members of Basque separatist group ETA were trained in Venezuela as part of an international campaign to besmirch his government.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2010 - 23:32 UTC

  “Disaster risk” and potential economic losses in 17 Latam countries

  

  Latin America and the Caribbean face potentially crippling economic and social costs from natural disasters and need to do more to reduce risks and prepare government finances to respond to eventual catastrophes, says a new set of indicators by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

• Tuesday, October 5th 2010 - 22:50 UTC

  Latin America poised to grow 5.5% to 6% this year, says IDB

  

  Latin America is poised to expand between 5.5% and 6% this year based on the sustained improvement of commodities pirces, productivity gains and domestic market expansion, said the president of the Inter American Development Bank, IDB, Luis Alberto Moreno.

• Tuesday, October 5th 2010 - 20:50 UTC

  A third of Peruvians have opted for a moderate, female mayor

  

  A moderate leftist who gained renown as a human rights advocate consolidated what remained a narrow lead (0.81%) Tuesday over her pro-business rival. Whoever wins, Lima will have its first elected female mayor ever.