Latinamerican countries will try to unify a regional migratory policy during the 9th South American Conference on Migration, to be held here on Sept. 21-22, announced Ecuadorian Migration Minister Lorena Escudero.
The United States formally left the Manta military base in Ecuador on Friday at 9.00 a.m. local time, at a ceremony in which Ecuadorian authorities took full control of the Pacific Coast facilities.
The United States and Cuba have begun talks on resuming direct mail service, which has been suspended since 1963. US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Bisa Williams is leading the delegation to the negotiations in Havana.
Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez called for an integrated Mercosur with a greater number of countries to make it more competitive overseas, but also demanded greater balance inside the group among members.
On August 17, dozens of Mapuche communities in southern Chile united to form the Mapuche Territorial Alliance to continue their struggle for political autonomy. Many of them had carried on angry protests, most recently on August 12, when a police operation to evict the Mapuches who had seized land left one dead and eight injured.
Defence minister Nelson Jobim said that Brazil “is not a Venezuela that goes around shopping in the world’s arms supermarkets”. Brazil targets policy on technical training and technology transfer so “we can develop a sound, autonomous defence industry”, underlined the top official from President Lula da Silva administration.
Four of Honduras six presidential candidates have coincided that the coming November 29 elections are the best solution to the serious political crisis faced by the country since the constitutional president Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a midnight military and civilian coup at the end of June.
Colombia could consider quitting the South American Nations Union, Unasur, if the block does not agree to debate issues related to drug trafficking, terrorism and arms purchases. There is a lack of “sensitivity” from other members to consider these issues.
Chilean dairy farmers requested President Michelle Bachelet to speed the implementation of the provisional safeguard clause to help contain the import of Argentine powder milk and cheese. The safeguard clause means imposing a 31% tariff on dairy imports.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Wednesday that China will invest 16 billion US dollars to boost oil production in the country particularly along the Orinoco River, as part of a strategy to reduce dependence on the US market.