Latin America

• 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.

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 17:33 UTC

  FT: In the path to prosperity Argentina tripped with the Kirchners

  

  The Financial Times, a reference for global finances, has published an editorial comment highly critical of Argentina’s presidential Kirchner couple and their latest attempt to keep their cash-strapped administration afloat: getting hold of Central Bank reserves to pay debts and recover long lost international creditworthiness.

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 04:19 UTC

  Vargas Llosa: OAS is “useless, inefficient and at times dangerous”

  

  “If there is an organization in Latinamerica which is inefficient, useless and at times dangerous precisely because of its inefficiency, it’s the Organization of American States, OAS”, said Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa.

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 03:57 UTC

  Uruguay's leader may join “responsible left” bloc

  

  Mr. Oppenheimer is an Argentine born columnist from The Miami Herald who writes regularly about Latinamerican affairs. His opinions and comments, well supported with data and quotes, are taken into account by corporations and businesses with interests in the region.
  One of his latest contributions refers to Uruguay and its recently elected president, a former left wing guerrilla leader. The heading is not necessarily that informative since Uruguay already belongs to the group identified as “responsible left”.

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 01:36 UTC

  Crucial debate for the Chilean presidential run-off between Piñera and Frei

  

  Chilean Conservative billionaire businessman Sebastián Piñera and centre-left candidate (and former president) Senator Eduardo Frei face-off this Monday evening in their first and only national debate since the December 13 first-round vote eliminated Communist Party candidate Jorge Arrate and independent candidate Marco Enriquez Ominami (MEO).

• Tuesday, January 12th 2010 - 01:28 UTC

  “Chile’s accession to OECD a major milestone”

  Chile signs up as the 31st member of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and its first member in South America on January 11. For Chile, this marks recognition of nearly two decades of democratic reform and sound economic policies. For the OECD, it is a major milestone in its mission to build a stronger, cleaner and fairer global economy.

• Monday, January 11th 2010 - 13:17 UTC

  Vargas Llosa calls for the decriminalizing of drugs’ consumption

  

  Peruvian renowned writer Mario Vargas Llosa proposed “decriminalizing” consumption of drugs as a way to stop the narcotics trade, in a column published in Lima’s most influential daily El Comercio Sunday edition.

• Monday, January 11th 2010 - 13:09 UTC

  Chavez warns Army will take control of businesses that increase prices

  

  Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, has said troops will seize control of any business that increases prices in response to the devaluation of its currency.

• Monday, January 11th 2010 - 12:46 UTC

  China will construct Bolivia’s first satellite; Morales travels to Beijing

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales will be travelling to China next March to sign an agreement for the construction and launching of the country’s first telecommunications satellite, reported Bolivian government sources on Sunday.

• Saturday, January 9th 2010 - 14:18 UTC

  Chavez devalues Bolivar, establishes dual exchange rate

  

  Venezuela devalued on Friday the official exchange rate of the Bolivar currency for the first time since March 2005, and created a second exchange rate for non-essential imports, to stimulate exports and close a fiscal deficit.