Latin America

• Tuesday, May 18th 2010 - 04:29 UTC

  Cuba scraps bureaucracy to help farmers boost food production

  

  Cuba's private farmers will in future purchase supplies directly instead of having them allocated by the state, the government said on Sunday, in the latest concession to demands for more autonomy.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2010 - 04:14 UTC

  Chile/EU agree to improve energy cooperation and increase trade

  

  Within the framework of the European Union/Latam leaders’ summit held in Madrid, the EU and Chile agreed to “improve and strengthen relations,” with a special focus on energy and trade, five years after the launch of the Association Agreement.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2010 - 01:20 UTC

  Surprises in the genetic makeup of US Hispanic/Latino populations

  

  A new study from researchers at New York University Langone Medical Center found that the imprint of European colonialism and imperialism is evident in the genetic makeup of today's Hispanic/Latino American populations.

• Tuesday, May 18th 2010 - 01:02 UTC

  EU 27 and Latam/Caribbean 33 trade reached 140 billion Euros in 2009

  

  Between 2000 and 2009, the European Union 27 exports of goods to the 33 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries grew more slowly than imports: exports rose from 59 billion Euro to 66 billion, while imports increased from 54 billion to 74 billion, according to a Europa press release on the eve of the Madrid summit.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 05:22 UTC

  EU and Mexico reaffirm and consolidate “strategic association”

  

  The European Union and Mexico decided Sunday at their fifth bilateral summit, held in the Spanish town of Comillas, to take measures to give concrete content to their relationship, which they have jointly designated to be one of “strategic association”.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 05:11 UTC

  Chavez trying to prevent speculation with US dollars

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed Sunday a currency law passed by the National Assembly this week that seeks to stem a decline in the local currency Bolívar, according to a broadcast on state television.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 04:59 UTC

  Strong interest for Peru’s bidding process for 25 oil blocks

  

  Peru resumed the bidding process for more than two-dozen oil blocks, almost two years after a bribery scandal related to contracts awarded to a Norwegian company. The president of state-owned Perupetro, Daniel Saba, said that 25 new blocks will be put up for international public bidding.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 04:55 UTC

  State of emergency on anniversary of Peruvian Shinning Path terrorist group

  

  The administration of Peruvian president Alan Garcia declared a state of emergency for 60 days in the regions of Huánuco, Ucayali and San Martín, reportedly the areas that have the most drugs and terrorist related activities.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 01:47 UTC

  Colombian FARC groups operating inside Brazilian territory, claim reports

  

  The Colombian guerrilla force FARC has “permanent bases in Brazil”, according to secret Federal Police reports, extracts of which were published Sunday by the prestigious O Estado de Sao Paulo.

• Monday, May 17th 2010 - 01:18 UTC

  Disappearance of prominent Mexican power broker linked to organized crime

  

  Mexican president Felipe Calderon said that organized crime will not settle in the country as it did in Colombia in the nineties. His Sunday statement comes a day after a former Mexican presidential candidate who remained a power broker in the ruling party went missing amid signs of violence.