Latin America

• Monday, October 18th 2010 - 00:35 UTC

  Russia agrees to build 500MW nuclear power station in Venezuela

  

  President Hugo Chávez announced a deal for Russia to build a nuclear power station in Venezuela and establishing a bi-national bank.

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 01:47 UTC

  Piñera promises overhaul of mine safety legislation, standards and mechanisms

  

  As some of its 33 rescued miners begin to go home, and as international interest in the story has yet to wane, Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera is promising a revision of “legislation, standards and mechanisms” to improve safety of miners in the country.

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 01:46 UTC

  Miners endured a temperature of 40º. Celsius and almost 100% humidity

  

  Manuel González, the first rescue worker to descend the San José mine pipe during the operative set up to save the 33 Chilean miners that were trapped for 70 days 700 metres under ground, assured the temperatures and humidity the workers had to face were “terrible.”

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 01:41 UTC

  Chile to insist on extradition from Argentina of terrorist accused of crimes in democracy

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera's administration announced it has decided to file a formal complaint before the National Refugees' Committee (CONARE) as a way of deepening their discontent on the political asylum the body decided to grant to ex guerrilla fighter Sergio Galvarino Apablaza Guerra.

• Saturday, October 16th 2010 - 00:13 UTC

  Chilean food exporters request government support to face weakening US dollar

  

  Representatives from Chile’s Council of Food Exporters met this week for 90 minutes with the Chile’s Treasury Minister, Felipe Larraín, to express their concern over the loss of competitiveness in the sector as a result of the declining value of the US dollar versus the Chilean peso, and to propose a series of measures to address the issue.

• Friday, October 15th 2010 - 06:34 UTC

  Miners rescue operation cost between 10 and 20 million US dollars

  

  Chilean President Sebastian Piñera revealed that the rescue operation for the 33 miners trapped during 70 days 622 metres underground in the north of the country cost between 10 and 20 million US dollars.

• Friday, October 15th 2010 - 06:21 UTC

  Colombia to apply capital inflow restrictions to combat the stronger Peso

  

  The Colombian government announced it would restrict the inflow of dollars into the country, one of several measures to try and prevent the local Peso from appreciating against the greenback, which this year already reached 14%.

• Thursday, October 14th 2010 - 05:24 UTC

  Mission accomplished: “Long live Chile” echoed all along the country

  

  Chile's president said his country will never be the same again after the extraordinary rescue of the 33 miners trapped deep underground for 69 days. Sebastian Piñera said he thought Chile was “more united and stronger than ever”, and “more valued” worldwide.

• Wednesday, October 13th 2010 - 07:29 UTC

  And on the 69th day, one by one the Phoenix capsule delivers trapped miners

  

  Chilean rescue workers have begun to successfully pull the 33 trapped miners to the surface in the world’s longest underground mine rescue. The first miner to be rescued at midnight Tuesday, Florencio Avalos emerged from the San Jose copper after spending 69 days trapped in a tunnel more 700 meters underground.

• Wednesday, October 13th 2010 - 07:26 UTC

  Falklands’ military operations trigger “formal and energetic” Unasur protest

  

  The Union of South American Nations, Unasur severely criticized the United Kingdom for the announced military exercises with missiles in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands. Argentina claims sovereignty over the South Atlantic Islands which are a British Overseas Territory.