Latin America

• Wednesday, August 18th 2010 - 04:40 UTC

  Constitutional Court says US/Colombia military accord must pass Congress

  

  Colombia's Constitutional Court suspended a deal giving US troops more access to Colombian bases, sending the agreement back to President Juan Manuel Santos to seek congressional approval.

• Wednesday, August 18th 2010 - 03:53 UTC

  Piñera condemns links of Chile’s communists, Mapuche militants and FARC

  

  Responding to a recent document linking activists from the indigenous Mapuches and Chile's Communist Party to Colombian guerrilla group FARC, President Sebastián Piñera condemned any collaboration between Chileans and violent groups.

• Wednesday, August 18th 2010 - 03:03 UTC

  Shell agrees to pay for environmental damages caused by 2005 oil spill

  

  A lawsuit filed against Shell Oil Company in 2005 by north Chile fisherman and shellfish divers has resulted in a compromise settlement requiring Shell to pay 1.2 million US dollars to the plaintiffs and repair environmental damages.

• Tuesday, August 17th 2010 - 23:58 UTC

  Colombian president, --temporarily--, rules out peace dialogue with guerrillas

  

  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ruled out, for the time being, any possible dialogue with the guerrilla organizations and said he would abstain from naming a peace commissioner. At the same time he called on the armed forces to increase their efforts in combating terrorism.

• Tuesday, August 17th 2010 - 23:56 UTC

  Latinamericans trust the media and the military, shows regional poll

  

  The media and the Armed Forces are among the institutions most trusted in Latin America, well ahead of the church, parliament and political parties, according to a regional opinion poll from FLACSO, Latinamerican Social Sciences Faculty.

• Tuesday, August 17th 2010 - 09:14 UTC

  World Cup helped Magallanes region economy pick up in second quarter

  

  Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile had a strong economic rebound in the first half of this year, boosted by the construction industry and retail sales, according to Chile’s National Statistics Office, INE.

• Tuesday, August 17th 2010 - 09:09 UTC

  “Miracle” in Colombia: Lightning downs aircraft: one dead, 114 injured

  

  A Boeing 737-700 from Colombian air carrier Aires operating as Flight 8250 from Bogota Eldorado Airport to San Andres Island in the Caribbean split into three pieces on landing after being struck by lightning, according to statements from Colombia’s national police.

• Monday, August 16th 2010 - 19:26 UTC

  US militant apologizes for collaborating with terrorism in Peru

  

  United States citizen Lori Berenson apologized to the Peruvian people for collaborating with a terrorist group and asked an appeals court to let her remain free on parole. She was sentenced to 20 year in prison and was released last May after serving 15 years, three fourths of the sentence.

• Monday, August 16th 2010 - 04:08 UTC

  One of Chavez ideologist mentors but disenchanted with the revolution, dies

  

  The retired general and ex-leader of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, has died, state-run media reported. He was 75.

• Monday, August 16th 2010 - 03:42 UTC

  Bolivian gas and Paraguayan electricity for a deep sea port in Uruguay

  

  Physical integration particularly in energy and access to the sea were two of the main issues addressed by the presidents of Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, (Fernando Lugo, Jose Mujica and Evo Morales), during their Sunday meeting in Asunción in the framework of Urupabol, the regional group which brings together the three countries.