Latin America

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 15:00 UTC

  US Travel Association urges Brazil and Chile be included in the Visa Waive Program

  

  Citing an opportunity to advance national security, economic competitiveness and public diplomacy, the U.S. Travel Association has urged President Obama to discuss prospects for including Brazil and Chile in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) when he visits South America this month.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 14:10 UTC

  Difficult Times for Chile’s Easter Island

  

  by COHA Research Associates Joss Douglas and Samantha Nadler
  Famous for its monolithic Moai head stones that were mysteriously erected at the dawn of history, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Easter Island is today making headlines of a different sort.

• Wednesday, March 16th 2011 - 04:19 UTC

  Honduras forgets Argentina and Brazil; will open trade offices in India and China

  

  Honduras is planning to close embassies in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela countries which do not recognize the government of President Porfirio Lobo.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 23:47 UTC

  Cuba devalues currency 8% to boost exports and imports substitution process

  

  Cuba devalued its convertible peso by 8% Monday to the level of parity with the US dollar as part of efforts to boost the island's flagging economy, the central bank said. Use of the convertible peso is limited to tourists and other foreigners, for Cubans who receive remittances from abroad and for export activity

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 10:26 UTC

  China’s largest agro enterprise plans to buy or lease 200.000 hectares world wide

  

  China’s largest agricultural enterprise, Heilongjiang Beidahuang Nongken Group, will acquire or lease 200,000 hectares of cropland in countries including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Russia, The Philippines, Australia and Zimbabwe, the official People’s Daily newspaper said.

• Tuesday, March 15th 2011 - 05:19 UTC

  Peru’ presidential election turns into a guessing game

  

  With less than a month to Peru’s presidential election April 10, the tailing candidates have been advancing and the favourites have been loosing ground, according to the latest public opinion poll from Ipsps-Apoyo made public in the Lima media.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 03:48 UTC

  Chile record sales of cars and computers (over a million in 2010)

  

  The acceleration of the Chilean economy and the increased purchasing power of Chileans have lead to record sales of cars and computers this year.

• Monday, March 14th 2011 - 02:09 UTC

  Chevron appeals 9.5 billion USD fine from an Ecuador court

  

  US oil giant Chevron has launched a legal appeal against a 9.5 billion US dollars fine by an Ecuador court for polluting much of the country's Amazon region.

• Saturday, March 12th 2011 - 23:04 UTC

  Cuban regime frees leading dissident who promises to keep protesting

  

  The Cuban government has freed one of the country's leading dissidents, but he says he will keep protesting against the government.

• Saturday, March 12th 2011 - 06:09 UTC

  Unasur splits two-year Secretary General post between Colombia and Venezuela

  

  Foreign Affairs ministers from the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, gathered in Ecuador Friday for their first meeting as a legally constituted organization agreed on the names to fill the post of Secretary General, vacant since the death of former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner.