Latin America

• 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”.

• Friday, May 29th 2009 - 03:49 UTC

  Easter Island cruise pier could cost between 20 and 70 million USD

  

  Chile's Ministry of Public Works (MOP) recently announced its decision to fund construction of a new docking pier for Easter Island, near the in Rapa Nui part of the island.

• Thursday, May 28th 2009 - 12:23 UTC

  Vargas Llosa warned against making political comments in Venezuela

  

  Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa was detained Wednesday for more than one hour at the Maiquetía international airport by immigration officials upon his arrival in Venezuela to take part in a Liberal forum of intellectuals hosted by a private organization opposed to the government of President Hugo Chávez.

• Thursday, May 28th 2009 - 06:50 UTC

  Paraguay confirmed as free of FMD with vaccination

  

  Paraguay, Colombia and Bolivia have been confirmed to the list of countries declared free of foot and mouth disease with vaccination at the current World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) 77th session in Paris.

• Thursday, May 28th 2009 - 06:27 UTC

  Foreign Direct Investment in Latam could plunge up to 45%

  

  Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America could plunge up to 45% this year as the global financial crisis stalls capital flows and shrinks the region's economy by more than 0.3%, warned the United Nations Economic Commission on Latinamerica and the Caribbean, Cepal.

• Thursday, May 28th 2009 - 06:18 UTC

  OAS taskforce to evaluate re-admission of Cuba

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS) moved Wednesday to create a taskforce to evaluate various proposals to readmit Cuba into the body, in the face of disagreements on the subject.

• Wednesday, May 27th 2009 - 06:20 UTC

  'They told me I don't have the right to make any political comments'

  

  Peruvian journalist Álvaro Vargas Llosa was briefly arrested for a few hours and his passport withheld by the authorities when he arrived this week at the Maiquetía's airport in Venezuela.

• Tuesday, May 26th 2009 - 18:29 UTC

  Santiago residents have increasing number of firearms for protection

  

  According to the latest study on citizen security, families in the Talagante borough of the Santiago de Chile Metropolitan Region have the highest number of firearms for protection.