Latin America

• Tuesday, June 2nd 2009 - 04:21 UTC

  Chile breakthrough in (Asian nori) algae cultivation

  

  Scientists of Chile’s Universidad Católica (UC) have discovered several varieties of the algae Porphyra in Chile. The Department of Ecology at UC has been studying the details of the reproductive cycle of the algae in order to replicate it in the lab

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 13:22 UTC

  Ecuador’s Correa forecasts the end of OAS and promotes the Group of Rio

  

  Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa said the Organization of American States, OAS, has “no longer a reason to exist” and forecasted it will be replaced by the Group of Rio, arguing it was time that Latinamerican issues ceased to be discussed in Washington.

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 09:02 UTC

  OAS calls for a political solution to Colombian internal conflict

  

  The Organization of American States Secretary General said the Colombian internal conflict should move towards a negotiated political solution, and offered to contribute to the peace efforts.

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 08:39 UTC

  New El Salvador government expected to restore relations with Cuba

  

  El Salvador President-elect Mauricio Funes plans to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba after taking office on Monday, a lawmaker allied tipped to become the Foreign Affairs minister of the new administration.

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 08:17 UTC

  Blackouts in Cuba if companies don’t comply with restrictions

  

  The Cuban government has threatened with cutting power to companies and entities that do not comply with the “exceptional measures” which become effective Monday to save fuel and help the rapidly deteriorating island’s economy, aggravated by the current global financial crisis.

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 07:51 UTC

  Andean indigenous propose international tribunal for “environmental crimes”

  

  Latinamerican indigenous peoples are proposing the creation o fan international court to address actions which harm the environment, according to the regional representatives meeting in the Peruvian highlands city of Puno

• Monday, June 1st 2009 - 07:50 UTC

  Cuba/US step closer agree to resume migration talks

  

  Cuba has agreed to resume talks with the United States over migration and mail service between the two countries, two senior US State Department officials said on Sunday.

• Saturday, May 30th 2009 - 16:02 UTC

  Chilean economic crisis freezes construction of 100 buildings

  

  New apartment building construction in Santiago de Chile is down by 14.6% since October 2008, according to the latest figures from real estate agency Collect GFK.
  Last fall there were 560 housing projects underway, but as of April that number is down to 461, including 166 projects on hold.

• Saturday, May 30th 2009 - 15:16 UTC

  OAS can’t agree on Cuba, while Havana ridicules the organization

  

  The task force created by the Organization of American States, OAS, in an attempt to bridge different members’ proposals to consider the readmission of Cuba seems to have stalled with the main actors clearly underlining their stance.

• Saturday, May 30th 2009 - 15:13 UTC

  Chavez avoids debate with Vargas Llosa; will only act as moderator

  

  Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa refused to go to debate on Hugo Chávez' TV program “Hello President” (“Aló Presidente”) because the outspoken Venezuelan President said he was only going to be the “moderator”.