Latin America

• Saturday, July 24th 2010 - 03:26 UTC

  First sale of Chilean sovereign bonds to finance earthquake rebuilding efforts

  

  Chile hired JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc. and HSBC Holdings Plc to arrange the country’s first international bond sale in six years, Finance Minister Felipe Larrain announced Friday. Proceeds from the 10-year bonds will help finance rebuilding efforts after the February earthquake.

• Friday, July 23rd 2010 - 23:52 UTC

  Spain savings restructure eliminates State Secretary for Ibero-America

  

  The Spanish government approved Friday a sweeping reform of the Ministries of Industry and Foreign Affairs which included the elimination of the State Secretary for Ibero-America.

• Friday, July 23rd 2010 - 22:19 UTC

  Brazil trusts new Colombian government will help solve row with Venezuela

  

  Brazil is following “closely and with great concern” the latest developments between Colombia and Venezuela said the Brazilian Foreign Office, Itamaraty, confirming that President Lula da Silva will be travelling to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez next August 6, as was scheduled.

• Friday, July 23rd 2010 - 06:09 UTC

  Ecuador criticizes OAS Insulza for the mishandling of Caracas/Bogotá rift

  

  Ecuador strongly criticized the Organization of American States, OAS, for having speedily accepted a special session request from Colombia to address the alleged existence of Colombian guerrilla groups in Venezuelan territory which led to a major diplomatic and political situation between the neighbouring countries.

• Friday, July 23rd 2010 - 03:32 UTC

  Kirchner and Ecuador’s Correa to mediate in Venezuela/Colombia row

  

  Former Argentine president and current Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Néstor Kirchner, “will collaborate in the mediation led by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, in order to overcome the crisis between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments”.

• Friday, July 23rd 2010 - 00:14 UTC

  Extreme cold kills hundreds of cattle; thousands at risk in Paraguay and Chile

  

  Cattle breeders in Paraguay and Chilean are suffering the consequences of a particularly severe austral winter which has killed hundreds of cattle and threatens the lives of tens of thousands more.

• Thursday, July 22nd 2010 - 23:36 UTC

  Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay consider building 2.000 kilometres gas pipeline

  

  Natural gas-rich Bolivia has invited Paraguay and Uruguay to confirm sufficient demand to justify the building of a commercially viable 2.000 kilometres pipeline linking with Asunción and Montevideo.

• Thursday, July 22nd 2010 - 22:27 UTC

  Venezuela severs relations with Colombia following row over guerrilla havens

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez broke off his country's relations with neighbouring Colombia Thursday over allegations that Colombian rebels were operating in Venezuela.

• Thursday, July 22nd 2010 - 17:08 UTC

  King crab season takes off in southern Chile; 2.600 tons were caught in 2009

  

  Chile’s King Crab season has officially kicked off for this year. The southern king crab is a delicacy in Chile, as 90% of each year’s catch is shipped to markets in Europe, North America and Asia. In Santiago, fresh king crab starts at about 25 US dollars per pound.

• Thursday, July 22nd 2010 - 10:14 UTC

  Chile considering bill to encourage repatriation of funds from abroad

  

  The Chilean government’s interest in creating a law to encourage the repatriation of funds from abroad received approval by a number of tax experts this past week, reported local media. The proposal, which was first mentioned publicly, last week would allow money earned outside the country to enter Chile, but at a lower tax rate.