Latin America

• Tuesday, July 6th 2010 - 09:25 UTC

  Human rights groups in Cuba say number of political prisoners has dropped

  

  The number of political prisoners in Cuba has declined in the last six months, an independent human rights group said Monday.

• Tuesday, July 6th 2010 - 09:20 UTC

  Initiative to upgrade Chilean Antarctic Province to “Special Territory”

  

  A group of Chilean senators from the ruling Conservative coalition presented a constitutional reform initiative that would declare as a ‘special territory’ the Chilean Antarctic Province with the purpose of protection and conservation of the zone’s biodiversity.

• Tuesday, July 6th 2010 - 07:20 UTC

  IMF needs to find ‘adequate balance between economics and politics’

  

  The International Monetary Fund should find an adequate balance between economics and politics, and take advantage of its cross-country experience to deepen its engagement in the Western Hemisphere and improve the effectiveness of its economic policy advice, a group of high-level advisors recommended Monday.

• Monday, July 5th 2010 - 05:05 UTC

  IDB president Moreno forecasted to be re-elected this week for five more years

  

  The Inter American Development Bank will be electing new President this week, but with the nomination period closed last June 26 and no names presented, Colombia’s Luis Alberto Moreno seems certain to be re-elected.

• Monday, July 5th 2010 - 05:02 UTC

  Morales inaugurates presidential jet and former Miss Bolivia as special envoy

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales has a new presidential aircraft, a Falcon 900EX manufactured by the French company Dassault. The Bolivian Air Force One was delivered by Philippe Létrilliart, France’s Chargé d’Affairs in La Paz during a ceremony at the air base of El Alto.

• Monday, July 5th 2010 - 04:51 UTC

  Venezuela and Chile to preside over another Latam unity group

  

  Venezuela and Chile will jointly preside over a new regional block to promote integration in the Americans but excluding United States and Canada was announced over the weekend during a meeting of Foreign Affairs ministers in Venezuela.

• Friday, July 2nd 2010 - 00:44 UTC

  Amnesty blasts Cuba regime for “climate of fear” and 53 prisoners of conscience

  

  Cuba has created a “climate of fear” among political activists and journalists working on the island nation, according to a report released this week by the human rights group Amnesty International.

• Thursday, July 1st 2010 - 21:10 UTC

  Construction slump in Punta Arenas lifts unemployment to 6%

  

  Unemployment in the extreme south of Chile, Magallanes Region, increased for the second mobile quarter running and now stands at 6% with construction industry receiving the heaviest blow, according to the latest release from the regional Statistics Office, INE.

• Thursday, July 1st 2010 - 07:22 UTC

  Latinamerica, one of the very few benefiting from Spain’s EU presidency

  

  Spain's ambitious six-month presidency of the EU was eclipsed by the European debt crisis which thrust the country's fragile economy into the global spotlight and weakened the Spanish government, analysts said.

• Thursday, July 1st 2010 - 06:52 UTC

  Chilean wine retailer to promote sales in Peru, Brazil and Colombia

  

  Three months after opening its newest store in Chile, The World of Wines - a key Chilean wine retailer – is looking to expand throughout the region.