Latin America

• Friday, January 15th 2010 - 06:11 UTC

  Chavez cancels energy rationing in Caracas; sacks electricity minister

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez cancelled energy rationing in Caracas after a chaotic first day of staggered blackouts angered his supporters, but the measures will continue across the country.

• Thursday, January 14th 2010 - 12:16 UTC

  Haiti with no relief for thousands of injured and buried in the rubble

  

  Haitian President Rene Preval has said thousands of people are feared dead following a huge quake which has devastated the country's capital. Mr Preval said the UN mission chief in Haiti was among the dead. It said at least 14 other UN staff had died and 56 were injured.

• Thursday, January 14th 2010 - 09:55 UTC

  Uruguay with the fourth highest inflation in the region last year

  

  Uruguay’s inflation in 2009 was on target, 5.9%, but nevertheless it was the highest in Latinamerica behind Venezuela, Jamaica and Argentina, according to data from Uruguay’s central bank. Overall the global slowdown impacted on the region with lower inflation rates.

• Thursday, January 14th 2010 - 04:51 UTC

  Chilean maverick candidate will vote to impede Piñera becoming president

  

  With only four days left for the Chilean presidential election run-off next Sunday the former independent hopeful Marco Enriquez-Ominami, MEO, publicly announced his support for incumbent candidate Eduardo Frei, although not mentioning his name once.

• Thursday, January 14th 2010 - 03:03 UTC

  Toxic red tide emergency in Punta Arenas: ban on all sea food

  

  Chilean Health Minister Alvaro Erazo arrived this week in Punta Arenas, extreme south of the country to head an emergency meeting with local officials given the extent of the “toxic red tide” which can be lethal for humans but also threatens the whole sea-food industry along the Magellan Strait coastline.

• Thursday, January 14th 2010 - 02:57 UTC

  Piñera leads with a slight margin in Chile’s presidential run-off next Sunday

  

  Chilean opposition conservative candidate Sebastián Piñera is poised to win, albeit by a slight margin, on next Sunday’s (Jan. 17) presidential run-off with the incumbent candidate former president Eduardo Frei, according to the latest public opinion poll released Wednesday in Santiago.

• Wednesday, January 13th 2010 - 21:38 UTC

  Falkland Islands: Ocean Watch ‘Around the Americas’ scientists moor in Stanley

  

  AROUND the Americas yacht Ocean Watch moored in Stanley on Monday as part of its 24,000 nautical mile journey aimed at collecting data sets in a bid to raise global awareness of the oceans.

• Wednesday, January 13th 2010 - 10:53 UTC

  Uribe’s re-election bid for a third term supported by Colombia’s ombudsman

  

  Colombia's Constitutional Court should approve a referendum to allow President Alvaro Uribe to run for re-election, the country's ombudsman said on Tuesday, which could open the way for a third consecutive mandate bid in the coming May presidential elections.

• Wednesday, January 13th 2010 - 08:26 UTC

  Chavez keeps his word and closes shops for price rises following devaluation

  

  Venezuelan government inspectors backed by soldiers have shut more than 70 shops in Caracas and other cities accused of trying to cash in on last week's currency devaluation. Soldiers have been on the streets to check prices as people queue to buy imports, fearing prices could rise.

• Wednesday, January 13th 2010 - 08:07 UTC

  Power debacle in Venezuela: four-hours rotating black outs in major cities

  

  Venezuela announced electricity cuts on a rotating basis to sections of the country’s capital Caracas and major cities as the government deepens energy rationing amid a drought. In December major industries were forced to limit production.