Latinamerican economies have an accumulated infrastructure works deficit, since 2000, of over 700 billion US dollars according to the United Nations Latinamerican Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, Cepal.
Bolivian government supporters and opponents clashed in the streets of Santa Cruz one of the five dissident provinces which held a general strike on Tuesday to demand Bolivian President Evo Morales return state shares of oil and natural gas income his administration diverted to fund a pension for the elderly.
Venezuela will sponsor an oil production cut at the next OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) meeting in September if prices continue to fall, cautioned Energy minister Rafael Ramírez in Caracas.
An outbreak of bovine tuberculosis has forced Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile to declare quarantine in 48 paddocks belonging to twelve farms. The number of cattle involved is 30.000 head which is a considerable percentage of the 180.000 herd of the region according to the 2007 census.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is backing a project in the Andean mountains of Peru to promote the traditional practice of textile weaving as a commercial venture.
Chile is working hard in the elimination of land mines along its borders with Argentina, Peru and Bolivia but still has over 100.000 explosives to deactivate, which at the current rate won't make the 2012 deadline, according to reports in the Buenos Aires press.
Chile's Chamber of Deputies voted unanimously last week to declare the country's coastline a whale sanctuary. The vote is a major step in protecting whales from hunting in Chilean waters – 200 miles from the coast, along the entire length of the country.
Chile's Health Ministry quarantined four more pork factories last Thursday after Canadian health officials confirmed high levels of the carcinogenic chemical dioxin in their pork meat products.
President Leonel Fernandez promised to boost agriculture production but warned of dire economic times as he was sworn in for a third term on Saturday
Economic activity in Magallanes Region, extreme south of Chile, has fallen dramatically during the second quarter of this year compared to the same period a year ago according to the latest data from the country's official Statistics Office.