Latin America

Monday, June 14th 2010 - 23:30 UTC
UNASUR congressional heads and Sec. Gen Kirchner meet in Ecuador

The South American Nations Union (UNASUR) Congressional heads are holding a meeting in Quito, Ecuador, Monday-Tuesday to outline a new scheme in order to concrete the “the region's congressional integration.”
Monday, June 14th 2010 - 04:21 UTC
India’s giant iron ore project in Bolivia stalled; China also interested

Bolivia and India’s Jindal Steel & Power one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers are scheduled to sign an addendum to the contract for the exploitation of the Mutún iron ore reserves with the purpose of unlocking the “lack of investments” according to Mines minister Jose Pimentel.
Monday, June 14th 2010 - 04:17 UTC
Cuba for the first time names agronomist as Minister of Agriculture

Cuba has removed General Ulises Rosales Toro as agricultural minister and made him a technical adviser for the island's sugar, agricultural and food production industries. A government statement Saturday characterized the move as a promotion for Rosales. He remains a member of the powerful Politburo.
Monday, June 14th 2010 - 04:15 UTC
Santos is forecasted to win next Sunday by a wide margin

Colombian incumbent presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos is poised for an overwhelming victory in next Sunday’s runoff according to the latest public opinion polls published Sunday in Bogotá’s main newspapers.
Monday, June 14th 2010 - 04:08 UTC
Colombian forces liberate two top police forces help as hostages for 12 years

The Colombian military on Sunday rescued Gen. Luis Mendieta and Col. Enrique Murillo, two top national police officers held by the FARC guerrillas for nearly 12 years, President Alvaro Uribe announced.
Sunday, June 13th 2010 - 03:23 UTC
Mrs. Clinton promises to sponsor US/Colombia trade agreement

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised this week after meeting with Colombian president Alvaro Uribe that when she returns to Washington she will begin “a very intensive effort to try to obtain the votes to get the free trade agreement with Colombia finally ratified”.
Sunday, June 13th 2010 - 01:20 UTC
In the even of Vatican top official visit, Cuba frees paraplegic political dissident

The Cuban government has freed a jailed dissident and moved six others to jails closer to their homes. Senior Catholic clergymen had urged Cuban president Raul Castro to release Ariel Sigler, 47, on humanitarian grounds.
Friday, June 11th 2010 - 23:23 UTC
Chilean Senators want International Whaling Commissioner ousted

Chilean senators Juan Pablo Letelier and Guido Girardi met this week with the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Fernando Schmidt, to plead the removal of Chilean Cristián Maquieira from his position as chairman of the International Whaling Commission.
Friday, June 11th 2010 - 23:16 UTC
Catholic Church expects more gestures from Raul Castro on political prisoners

Cuban Catholic church said this week that it expects the government of Raul Castro to make more gestures favouring political prisoners, although it added that in that “process” no fixed dates have been set for particular actions.
Friday, June 11th 2010 - 20:53 UTC
Piñera announces huge investments in the state-run copper industry

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has announced plans to invest 15 billion US dollars in Codelco, the state-owned copper company. Speaking to an audience of workers, managers and executives at a mine in Calama earlier this week, Piñera said the investment would bring about “a renaissance and a new youth to Codelco”.