Latin America

• Tuesday, July 27th 2010 - 20:20 UTC

  Ecuador moves to increase state control over the oil industry

  

  OPEC member Ecuador says it will start renegotiating contracts with private oil companies as it moves to increase state control over the sector. Under the new hydrocarbons law, the current production-sharing agreements will be replaced by a flat fee.

• Tuesday, July 27th 2010 - 04:53 UTC

  Colombia/Venezuela conflict: Kirchner meets president-elect Santos

  

  Unasur (Union of South American Nations) chairman Nestor Kirchner confirmed Monday ongoing contacts at different levels to try and defuse the Colombia/Venezuela conflict.

• Tuesday, July 27th 2010 - 04:49 UTC

  Chile, Peru and Colombia, trade platform for China in South America

  

  Colombia, Chile and Peru are increasingly the platform for South American trade with China, according to official statistics. The three countries have China as one of the largest and most dynamic trade partners and are working on a common strategy for further liberalization of trade.

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 22:31 UTC

  Cuban reforms “step by step” at the “rhythm we determine” says Castro regime

  

  The Cuban leadership on the 57th anniversary of the revolution said that economic reforms will take place “step by step, at the pace we determine” and certainly not “by campaigns from the foreign press”.

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 20:45 UTC

  U2 and Bono scheduled to perform in Santiago de Chile March 2011

  

  Chileans will have a chance to see U2 in concert, as the popular Irish rock band, headed by singer Bono, plans to perform in Santiago in March 2011 as a part of its 360 Tour. It will be the band’s third show in Chile.

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 20:38 UTC

  Easier and faster access to Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia

  

  Chilean Public Works Minister Hernán de Solminihac recently inaugurated a new 9.6 million US dollars highway - Route 9 - connecting Puerto Natales to Villa Cerro Castillo, in the region of the Torres del Paine National Park, extreme south of the country.

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 05:41 UTC

  Venezuela/Colombia conflict “weakens” South America’s image, says Brazil

  

  Brazil’s Executive foreign affairs advisor said that the breaking of relations between Venezuela and Colombia “weakens” South America and negotiations to bring both sides together should not be seen as a confrontation between Unasur (Union of South American Nations) and OAS (Organization of American States).

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 05:39 UTC

  “Boys, we’re not in the sixties” Chavez tells Colombia’s FARC

  

  In an attempt to take distance from the Colombian guerrilla following claims of his alleged links with the rebels presented by Bogotá before the Organization of American States, OAS, President Hugo Chavez said that “Colombian armed groups must reconsider their armed strategy”.

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 03:47 UTC

  Kirchner begins round of contacts to defuse Venezuela/Colombia confrontation

  

  Secretary-general of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) Néstor Kirchner who this week begins a round of contacts indicated that “it hurts that two Latin American countries like Venezuela and Colombia have this level of confrontation” and promised “to work from Unasur so that we can bring the two nations together and not affect the close relationship between their peoples.”

• Monday, July 26th 2010 - 03:44 UTC

  Piñera rejects Bishops plea to pardon military involved in human rights abuses

  

  Chilean President Sebastian Piñera rejected a plea by the Roman Catholic Church that he pardon members of the armed forces over human rights abuses committed during military rule. Piñera said the proposal had caused division in Chile and reopened old wounds.