Latin America

• Tuesday, August 10th 2010 - 03:22 UTC

  Punta Arenas on the move to recover cruise industry lost activity

  

  The business community in Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile has begun to campaign to ensure the cruise industry does not abandon the city and is asking authorities for a radical change in the costs policy, which seems one of the main causes for the current situation.

• Tuesday, August 10th 2010 - 01:25 UTC

  Kirchner meets Santos confirms dialogue process with Venezuela

  

  Unasur (Union of South American Nations) secretary general Nestor Kirchner held a meeting Monday with Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos to keep advancing in the dialogue process with neighbouring Venezuela sponsored by the group. Santos and his Venezuelan counterpart are scheduled to meet Tuesday.

• Tuesday, August 10th 2010 - 01:12 UTC

  Venezuela will be incorporating several “non-atomic” submarines

  

  Very soon “we will have our submarines cruising” which will be “normal submarines”, with no nuclear capacity at all, pointed out Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, in anticipation of any criticisms “that could suggest such an option”.

• Tuesday, August 10th 2010 - 01:05 UTC

  Chavez rejects newly nominated US ambassador: “he broke rules of diplomacy”

  

  Newly nominated United States Ambassador Larry Palmer will not be allowed to take up his post in Caracas after criticizing Venezuela's government and policies, President Hugo Chávez said.

• Monday, August 9th 2010 - 07:18 UTC

  Chavez to meet with Colombia's new president tomorrow

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his new Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, will meet this week as the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations between the South American neighbours, officials said Sunday.

• Sunday, August 8th 2010 - 07:34 UTC

  Fidel surprises everybody and only speaks to the Assembly for 10 minutes

  

  Fidel Castro, the former Cuban leader delivered Saturday his first speech to the national assembly since resigning over ill health four years ago. The chamber erupted into applause at the sight of Mr Castro, dressed in his familiar olive-green fatigues but without his comandante's insignia.

• Sunday, August 8th 2010 - 07:29 UTC

  Chavez promises new start and willing to meet President Santos

  

  President Hugo Chávez offered to meet with Colombia's new President Juan Manuel Santos to restore diplomatic relations broken over allegations that Venezuela was tolerating the presence of guerrillas in its territory.

• Sunday, August 8th 2010 - 07:23 UTC

  Punta Arenas anticipates drastic 33% fall in cruise visitors this season

  

  Less than a month for the beginning of the official cruise season 2010/11, prospects for Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile are not at all encouraging with an anticipated activity contraction of 33% over last year, according to the Empresa Portuaria Austral, EPA, which manages local port activities.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 23:11 UTC

  Santos called for understanding in spite of ideological differences

  

  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos took office Saturday with a pledge to create jobs, end rebel violence and foster economic growth while seeking to mend ties with neighbouring countries in spite of “ideological differences”.

• Saturday, August 7th 2010 - 06:09 UTC

  UNASUR suggests Venezuelan chancellor meets Colombian president Santos

  

  Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Secretary-General Néstor Kirchner and Brazilian president Lula da Silva recommended that Venezuelan Foreign Affairs minister Nicolas Maduro should travel to Colombia on Saturday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of president elect Juan Manuel Santos.