Latin America

• Friday, April 30th 2010 - 06:00 UTC

  Uruguay, Chile and Costa Rica Rated as Safest Countries in Latinamerica

  

  For the second year in a row, Chile is the safest country of Latin America, a study carried out by FTI Consulting (International Forensic Technologies) showed. Chile shares this position with Uruguay and Costa Rica, as it has since 2009.

• Friday, April 30th 2010 - 05:48 UTC

  Honduras President Invited to the EU/Latinamerica Summit in Madrid

  

  Honduras President Porfirio Lobo confirmed he would be participating of the European Union-Latin America-Caribbean summit scheduled to take place in Madrid next May 18. Lobo said he was officially invited in March and that a couple of weeks ago Spanish Foreign Secretary Miguel Angel Moratinos rang on the phone to tell him “we will be waiting for you”.

• Friday, April 30th 2010 - 05:30 UTC

  Bolivian President Again Attacks “Hormone Loaded” Farmed Chickens

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales again referred to the harmful effects of consuming transgenic food, a week after he triggered an international outrage when he said that eating chicken, manipulated with hormones, caused “sexual deviations and boldness” in men.

• Friday, April 30th 2010 - 02:49 UTC

  LAN Plans to Invest 2.83 Billion USD in 2010/2013 to Expand its Fleet

  

  LAN (NYSE: LFL), Chile's dominant airline and flag carrier, announced Thursday it would invest 2.83 billion US dollars between 2010 and 2013 to expand its fleet. CEO Jorge Awad told a shareholder meeting the company would invest 500 million USD in 2010 and 1 billion USD in 2011 to purchase both short and long-haul aircraft.

• Thursday, April 29th 2010 - 18:59 UTC

  Fish Meal Price Rockets Because of Chilean Earthquake Damage to Plants

  

  The earthquake in Chile earlier this year destroyed Chilean processing plants tightening world supply of fishmeal and causing world market prices to hit an all-time high. Chile is the world’s second biggest exporter of fishmeal, second only to Peru.

• Thursday, April 29th 2010 - 07:18 UTC

  Farm Exports Leading Latam Strong Recovery, Says FAO

  

  Latinamerica and the Caribbean are undergoing a strong recovery boosted mainly by agriculture exports, said José Graziano da Silva, head of FAO’s regional office in Panama, during the presentation of the Report on Agriculture and Rural Development 2010 Prospects for Latinamerica.

• Thursday, April 29th 2010 - 07:10 UTC

  Cuba Promotes Building of “Own Effort Homes” to Help With Lack of Housing

  

  Cuba began granting licenses to people to build homes “with their own effort”, an initiative approved last year by President Raúl Castro. The granting of the permits was finally approved by the National Housing Institute for people who are the owners of land, homes or other areas included in the new resolution.

• Thursday, April 29th 2010 - 06:00 UTC

  Unemployment in Santiago de Chile “Has Eased” but Stands at 10.8%

  

  The University of Chile reported Monday a Santiago unemployment rate of 10.8%. While this is higher than what it was before the international recession (when it stood at around 8%), it is two percentage points less than what it was in March of 2009.

• Wednesday, April 28th 2010 - 18:04 UTC

  Colombian Surprise: Green Party Candidate Leads Presidential Race

  

  Colombia’s Green party presidential candidate Antanas Mockus arrives for Wednesday’s night television debate as favourite following on his spectacular rise in public opinion polls.

• Wednesday, April 28th 2010 - 06:39 UTC

  Lula da Silva to Remain in Politics, Promises Caricom Trade and Political Links

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva discarded any sort of retirement once he steps down from the Executive next December 31 and underlined he will continue to act in politics.