Latin America

Saturday, June 5th 2010 - 06:19 UTC
Chile to celebrate 200th anniversary with four days holiday

Chile has decided to celebrate its 200th birthday over four days as opposed to the two given to its usual birthdays. The legislature has approved a proposal to convert both the Friday before and the Monday after Saturday September 18 into official public holidays.
Saturday, June 5th 2010 - 06:16 UTC
IMF identifies three challenges faced by Latinamerica as world crisis recedes

Removing fiscal stimulus, absorbing capital flows and reducing unemployment are the main challenges facing Latinamerican and Caribbean countries as the global crisis recedes, said IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn during this recent visit to South America.
Saturday, June 5th 2010 - 05:44 UTC
Environmentalists march to protest building of dams in Patagonian Chile

In honour of June 5, World Environment Day, activist groups and artists will march this weekend to protest efforts by electric companies to build hydroelectric plants in southern Chile.
Saturday, June 5th 2010 - 00:59 UTC
US government says there’s no arms race in the Americas

The US government does not consider that there’s an arms race in the Americas and estimates the majority of countries invest more on social areas than in military hardware said Assistant US Secretary of State for Hemispheric affairs, Arturo Valenzuela.
Saturday, June 5th 2010 - 00:41 UTC
Cuba among the most flagrant human rights abusers, says Freedom House

Freedom House released on Thursday ‘Worst of the Worst 2010: The World’s Most Repressive Societies’, its annual report identifying the world’s most flagrant human rights abusers. at a side panel during the 14th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Friday, June 4th 2010 - 00:37 UTC
Transparency International calls on OAS for strong anti-corruption action

The urgent need to take anti-corruption from rhetoric to actions is a decisive challenge for the 33 heads of state meeting at the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS) taking place from 6-8 June in Lima.
Thursday, June 3rd 2010 - 22:58 UTC
Security, mutual trust and migration in Unasur dialogue with Washington

The need for a mutual-trust environment, which helps avoid situations of possible conflicts inside the region, is one of the main points the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, will be discussing with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to Ecuadorian diplomatic sources.
Thursday, June 3rd 2010 - 06:21 UTC
Oliver Stone and film “South of the Border” greeted by thousands of Bolivians

Noted US political firebrand and film director Oliver Stone attended the Bolivian premiere of his documentary “South of the Border” Tuesday night at El Coliseo La Coronilla, an enormous indoor sports stadium in Cochabamba.
Thursday, June 3rd 2010 - 06:13 UTC
Cuban political prisoners’ families hopeful of further positive signs

The families of Cuban political prisoners expressed their hope Wednesday that those who are sick may be released. On Tuesday, Cuban authorities began the first transfers of political prisoners to jails near their homes, Catholic Church officials and the opposition said.
Thursday, June 3rd 2010 - 06:05 UTC
Colombia’s Santos sends ‘peace and respect message” to Chavez

Colombian presidential candidate and favourite to win this month’s run-off Juan Manuel Santos anticipated he would be proposing Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez a “rebuilding of bilateral links”, if he is finally elected.