The tourism industry in Chile has been hit hard as travellers cancel trips to the disaster-struck country. Since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Saturday, Andes Hostel in Santiago has received five to six cancellations per day, an employee told the Santiago Times.
The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, on Wednesday presented his candidacy for re-election in a speech before the Permanent Council in which he offered to continue to be a “partner” in the use of a “modern multilateralism to apply our common agenda, as ambitious as it may be, for the benefit of the people of the Americas.”
Passenger traffic at Santiago de Chile’s main airport should reach 50% of normal activity on Thursday following the increase in commercial airlines flight numbers and the reopening of the domestic air terminal, reports the Chilean Civil Aeronautic Agency.
The water level of Venezuela’s El Gurí dam which provides 75% of the country’s power is rapidly approaching the “critical zone” having dropped to 254 metres, just 14.45 metres from “collapse point” warned President Hugo Chavez.
Chilean cement maker Melon led earnings in the IPSA stock market Wednesday operations with shares soaring 68% on expectations that the company would benefit from reconstruction efforts. Nevertheless, the IPSA select index fell 1.36% to 3708.91.
“The epicentre is on land, therefore there should be no tsunami”. That was the information that the Chilean Navy -through its hydro-graphic and oceanographic office “Shoa”- delivered to President Michelle Bachelet in a communication at 05:20 am on Saturday.
The Falkland Islands government sent on Tuesday a message (in English and Spanish) of sympathy and support to the Chilean people “at this terrible time of tragedy”.
Santiago’s airport is gradually resuming activity recovering from Chile Saturday’s devastating quake and on Tuesday should complete 20 domestic and 20 international flights, (12% of its normal activity) according to Jose Huepe, head of the country’s Civil Aeronautic agency.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Brasilia Tuesday night for meetings with Brazilian leaders after a stop in Chile where she pledged long-term US relief help for the earthquake-ravaged country. Chilean officials say damage estimates range in the billions of dollars.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged U.S. support Tuesday to earthquake-stricken Chile during the third stop on her six-nation tour of Latin America. Clinton told reporters in Santiago the US stands ready to help Chile in any way the government needs.