Latin America

• Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Unasur initiative not incompatible with OAS, says Rice

  United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice does not think that the creation of an organization that pools Latin American and Caribbean countries would be a threat or incompatible with for the Organization of American States (OAS).

• Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Russian Navy flotilla makes first visit to Cuba since Cold War

  

  Three ships from Russia's Northern Fleet arrived in Havana Bay on Friday as part of the Russian Navy's first visit to Cuba since the Cold War. On arrival the Admiral Chabanenko destroyer fired a 21-salvo “international salute,” which the country's coastal artillery returned.

• Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Unasur will consider Defence Council agenda in January

  The Union of Latinamerican Nations (UNASUR) meeting in Brazil this week agreed the creation of a South American Defence Council, which will have “a collective vision of defence”, as it was defined by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet who currently chairs the twelve-member Unasur.

• Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Cuba closer to region accepts political dialogue on OAS

  

  Cuban president Raúl Castro said he was willing to talk about the possible re-incorporation of Cuba to the Organization of American States, OAS, from which it was expulsed in 1962, according to press reports from Brazil where the Latinamerican and Caribbean summit is taking place with the participation of leaders from the 33 countries.

• Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Democratic Chile has spent billions in upgrading Armed Forces

  

  In a highly sensitive area, Chilean Defence and Armed Forces, rich in resources from copper windfall prices, have a political and strategic problem in their hands with the decommissioning of 200 Leopard 1 tanks to be replaced by 140 Leopard 2, purchased from Germany.

• Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Unasur should have Secretary General next April 30

  

  The Union of South American Nations, Unasur, agreed on a new timetable for the ratification of the organization's multilateral treaty and for reaching a consensus on the nomination of a standing secretary general, which has soured relations between Uruguay and Argentina.

• Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean authorities warn about sea food consumption

  Chilean Congress members have asked the Ministry of Public Health to declare a “sanitary emergency in the south of the country” given the massive sea food poisoning contaminated with the vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria.

• Wednesday, December 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile helps Paraguay crack neighbours' “energy siege”

  

  Energy rich Paraguay and Chile reached an agreement for the supply of electricity which will transmitted through Argentine territory and at “a considerable higher value than that paid by Brazil”.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuador announces second bond interest payment default

  

  Ecuador announced it is defaulting on a second bond payment, interest on 650 million US dollars in Global 15 bonds due through 2015. The announcement comes three days after President Rafael Correa said the country would not make a similar 30.6 million USD payment on Global 12 bonds.

• Monday, December 15th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Nicaragua is a “family dictatorship” claims former minister

  

  The Nicaraguan administration of President Daniel Ortega “is not left-leaning or Sandinista or revolutionary, it's imply a family dictatorship”, said Ernesto Cardenal, a Catholic priest and one of the country's most renowned poets.