Latin America

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 03:39 UTC

  Chile requests additional time to clear mines along Bolivian border

  

  The Chilean government has requested neighbouring Bolivia to extend for a further two years (2012 to 2014) the timetable to clear of anti personnel mines planted in the seventies along border areas, reports La Razon, La Paz main daily.

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 03:36 UTC

  In open letter to Clinton maquilas call for democracy restoration in Honduras

  

  Clothing companies Nike Inc., Gap Inc., Adidas and Knights Apparel have released a joint letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for the restoration of democracy in Honduras. The three companies with maquilas in Honduras wrote an open letter to Clinton, expressing their concerns about recent events in Central America.

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 03:29 UTC

  Chile wine production increases in volume and quality

  

  The Chilean wine industry produced more wine, and of better quality, in 2009 than any previous year, according to a recent report by the Office of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG).

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 01:57 UTC

  Israel fortifies presence in Latin America

  

  The following article posted in The Miami Herald, written by Andres Oppenheimer gives a good reference framework of the current Teheran regime political and diplomatic penetration in Latinamerica and Israel’s latest effort to counter such an advance.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2009 - 12:35 UTC

  Canadian researchers suspect fish virus came to Chile from Norway in 1996

  

  A group of Canadian researchers suspect that Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA), a highly contagious fish virus that has pummelled Chile’s farmed salmon industry the past two years, was introduced in Chile as far back as the mid1990s.

• Wednesday, July 29th 2009 - 12:13 UTC

  Chavez freezes diplomatic and trade relations with Colombia

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez froze diplomatic relations with neighboring Colombia, citing verbal “aggressions” from that country. The announcement Tuesday on national television follows declarations from the Colombian government that anti-tank weapons purchased by Venezuela from Sweden ended up in the hands of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 14:44 UTC

  China displaces the US as main trading partner of Chile

  

  China overtook the United States as the principal consumer of Chilean goods in the first half of 2009, reaching its highest percentage share of Chilean exports yet. China’s continued appetite for Chilean copper, among other commodities, has helped cushion Chile’s overall drop off in exports.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 14:18 UTC

  Swedish made weapons sold to Venezuela turn up in Colombian guerrilla camp

  

  Sweden has asked Venezuela to explain how Swedish-made weapons ended up in the hands of Colombia's Farc rebels. Swedish officials said the anti-tank rocket launchers had been sold to Venezuela in the 1980s.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:13 UTC

  Honduras Army supports mediation, unity government and early elections

  

  The head of the Honduran military pledged on Monday not to use deadly force against supporters of ousted president Manuel Zelaya and said the Army supports mediation efforts to solve the political crisis.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 07:12 UTC

  Less Bolivian gas production as Brazilian demand falls

  

  Brazil has reduced its demand for Bolivian natural gas to 24 million cubic meters per day, prompting a drop in production, according to reports in the La Paz press.