Latin America

• Saturday, June 20th 2009 - 16:38 UTC

  Billionaire Piñera and ex president Frei lead Chilean polls

  

  Chilean billionaire and conservative presidential candidate Sebastian Piñera’s lead narrowed Thursday in the widely respected poll CEP, while underdog Marco Enriquez-Ominami jumped to 13%.

• Saturday, June 20th 2009 - 16:29 UTC

  Bolivia’s Morales returns compliments: “I’m no president’s nightmare”

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales said he was “no president’s nightmare” and congratulated his Peruvian peer Alan Garcia because “mistakes are being corrected” in direct reference to recent events in neighbouring Peru.

• Saturday, June 20th 2009 - 08:33 UTC

  Aftermath of deadly incidents: Peruvian cabinet submits resignation

  

  Peruvian Cabinet chief Yehude Simon announced Friday he had submitted his resignation and that of the whole ministerial cabinet to President Alan Garcia, following the political consequences of clashes in the Amazonia province which left at least fifty dead including 24 policemen.

• Friday, June 19th 2009 - 08:10 UTC

  Peruvian Congress overturns land decrees that led to deadly protests

  

  Peru's Congress overturned on Thursday two controversial decrees that had sparked deadly protests by Amazon Indians opposed to development on their lands, a vote hailed as a victory for indigenous groups At least fifty people, including 24 policemen were killed in last week’s clashes some of them speared

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 14:44 UTC

  Peru moves to reconcile with protesting indigenous peoples

  

  Peru's government is moving toward reconciliation with the indigenous peoples after two months of rioting and protest that left over fifty people dead. The government of President Alan García wants to delay the implementation of two plans to open parts of the Peruvian Amazon to foreign investment.

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 14:43 UTC

  Chile reports third death of influenza and declares “sanitary emergency”

  

  Chile officially declared state of sanitary emergency as the A/H1N1 influenza cases raised again in the last hours, with 3125 confirmed, three deaths and many blood samples still undergoing laboratory expertise.

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 14:32 UTC

  Lan Cargo and GE sign 12-year maintenance program for turbines

  

  Chile’s Lan Cargo signed a twelve year agreement with the Aviation Department of General Electric for the maintenance, upkeep and repair of the GE90-110B engines of its fleet of four Boeings 777. The operation involves 135 million US dollars.

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 14:13 UTC

  Jon Benjamin, next UK ambassador in Chile

  

  Jon Benjamin has been appointed British Ambassador to Chile in succession to Mr Howard Drake OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 14:10 UTC

  HMS Manchester sailors “dump” McDonald statue in Valparaiso harbour

  

  Two Royal Navy sailors from HMS Manchester have appeared in court in Chile for stealing a life-size statue from a McDonald's restaurant.

• Thursday, June 18th 2009 - 08:53 UTC

  Caribbean cruise interrupted because of A/H1N1 influenza

  

  A Spanish cruise ship has been turned away from two Caribbean ports following an outbreak of the A/H1N1 influenza on board. Pullmantur said “Ocean Dream” was refused permission to dock in Grenada and Barbados on Wednesday, with several confirmed cases amongst the crew of the virus.