Latin America

Tuesday, May 25th 2010 - 00:25 UTC
Cruise vessels avoiding Chile: another 35% downturn anticipated for 2010/2011

Cruises through the waters of Patagonia and around the most southern point of South America are a popular tourist attraction for US and European tourists. In more recent years however, cruise lines have started avoiding Chilean ports.
Monday, May 24th 2010 - 05:51 UTC
Insulza takes oath as OAS Secretary General for second five-year period

The Organization of American States (OAS), Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza will be sworn Monday for a second five year term. Chilean born Insulza will take the oath at a special meeting of the OAS Permanent Council in Washington DC.
Monday, May 24th 2010 - 03:42 UTC
Come the rainy season Chavez announces beginning of end to black outs

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that the arrival of the rainy season will help eliminate power rationing on weekends and on weekdays at non-peak hours. Chavez made the announcement during a meeting of an electricity advisory group at the Miraflores presidential palace that was aired by state-run VTV television.
Monday, May 24th 2010 - 03:33 UTC
Morales tells Spanish companies their investments in Bolivia are protected

Investments by Spanish firms are protected in new Bolivian regulations, but companies involved in plots against the government will not be forgiven, said President Evo Morales on Sunday during a fence-mending speech.
Monday, May 24th 2010 - 03:23 UTC
Cuban Catholic Church mediation helping with liberation of political prisoners

Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas said on Sunday that the Catholic Church notified him that Raul Castro’s regime on Monday will begin taking “preliminary steps” regarding ill political prisoners and that a meeting is scheduled for this week “to speak about releases”.
Monday, May 24th 2010 - 03:09 UTC
Colombian presidential candidates neck-to-neck ahead of May 30 election

Colombia’s former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and Green Party candidate Antanas Mockus appear to be neck and neck for the May 30 presidential vote, and Mockus would have an edge in a June run-off.
Saturday, May 22nd 2010 - 00:41 UTC
Malaysia 59th country to sign free trade agreement with Chile

This week Malaysia became the 59th country to sign a free trade agreement with Chile. It is the first free trade agreement (FTA) for President Sebastian Piñera's government and it is Malaysia’s first FTA with a Latin American nation.
Saturday, May 22nd 2010 - 00:10 UTC
Chile’s drops in world competitiveness ranking but still top of Latam

Chile fell from number 25 to number 28 on the World Competitiveness Yearbook that includes 58 countries. This is Chile’s worst position since 2000, when it ranked number 30. The highest position it has had is 18, in 2005.
Saturday, May 22nd 2010 - 00:07 UTC
Magallanes tourism operators want regional official representative removed

Tourism operators from the extreme south of Chile in Punta Arenas are demanding that the regional representative of the national Tourism Office, Senatur, Christian Miranda resign and be immediately replaced.
Friday, May 21st 2010 - 02:48 UTC
Peru en route to become the world’s fifth gold producer

Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) said this week that the country would rank among the world’s top 5 gold producers before 2015 thanks to the production potential and increased investment in the sector.