Latin America

• Thursday, August 5th 2010 - 16:20 UTC

  Georgia to open embassies in Latam looking to attract investment

  

  The former Soviet republic of Georgia plans to open embassies in Brazil and Mexico and will send a top delegation to the inauguration of Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos as it seeks to attract more foreign investment and to expand economic and political ties with Latin America, according to the Foreign Ministry.

• Thursday, August 5th 2010 - 05:00 UTC

  Snow in Brazil, below zero Celsius in the River Plate and tropical fish frozen

  

  For a second day running it snowed Wednesday in Southern Brazil and in twelve of Argentina’s 24 provinces including parts of Buenos Aires as a consequence of the polar front covering most of the continent’s southern cone with zero and below zero temperatures.

• Thursday, August 5th 2010 - 04:51 UTC

  Germany recognizes Latin America’s new economic and diplomatic might

  

  German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle presented a new Latin America strategy Wednesday that he said finally did justice to the burgeoning region's new economic and diplomatic might.

• Thursday, August 5th 2010 - 01:33 UTC

  Walmart is Latin America’s single largest employer, says Latin Business

  

  The single largest employer in Latin America is US-based retailer Walmart, according to the first annual ranking of Latin America’s Top 60 Employers from Latin Business Chronicle.

• Thursday, August 5th 2010 - 01:32 UTC

  Mining and agriculture disputing scarce water resources in northern Chile

  

  With the mining industry increasing its presence in northern Chile, problems over resources are arising between the mining and agricultural industries, especially over water.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 22:08 UTC

  Venezuela’s oil corporation profits plummet because of “•global capitalist crisis”

  

  State-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA earnings reached 4.49 billion US dollars in 2009, down from 9.41 billion in 2008, Energy and Petroleum Minister Rafael Ramirez revealed this week. Speaking at PDVSA headquarters in Caracas, he cited the “global capitalist crisis” as a major factor in the sharp fall in net income.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 21:55 UTC

  Released Cuban dissident arrives in Chile as political refuge

  

  One of the 20 released Cuban political prisoners who arrived in Spain last month left on Tuesday to settle in Chile. Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, 44 arrived in Santiago de Chile Wednesday accompanied by his wife, children and several other family members after having stayed almost two weeks in a Madrid hotel.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 20:56 UTC

  Fidel Castro back on stage to discuss “issues of interest in the international situation”

  

  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro’s request for an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss foreign affairs was granted Wednesday which could mean the retired leader of the 1959 revolution may be taking a greater role in government.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 06:55 UTC

  North of Chile, land of telescopes, preparing to promote “astronomy tourism”

  

  With the installation of the world's biggest telescope planned in northern Chile many communities there are hoping the tourism industry will benefit from the world of astronomy.

• Wednesday, August 4th 2010 - 06:51 UTC

  Mexico to debate legalization of drugs; 28.000 deaths related to the ‘war’

  

  Mexican president Felipe Calderon has invited the country to a serious debate on the legalization of drugs in light of the latest figures indicating that over 28,000 people had been killed in a four year period.