
Brazilian President Lula da Silva will urge US President Barack Obama on Saturday March 14 to open talks with governments in Venezuela and Cuba and make aid and development the focus of his Latin America policy. Lula da Silva is the first Latinamerican president to meet with Obama.

United States looks at the coming Americas Summit next April in Trinidad Tobago as an opportunity to begin a new relation with Latinamerica in a “spirit of equals” since the region will have to play a crucial role in the reply to the global economic crisis.

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet on Thursday reshuffled her cabinet by naming new Foreign Affairs and Defence ministers as well as a new government spokesperson. This is the eighth reshuffle since taking office in 2006 and marks the beginning of a tough electoral and financial year.

Chile dropped six places in the World Economic Forum’s latest travel and tourism ranking for the most competitive and attractive countries for travel and tourism.
Chile is now in 57th place out of the 133 countries included in the study – beating out nearby countries like Peru (74th place) and Argentina (65th).

Bolivian president Evo Morales ate a coca leaf in front of delegates at the UN summit on drugs in Vienna on Wednesday, to underline his demand that the raw ingredient used to make cocaine be removed from the United Nation's list of prohibited drugs.

Peru is the only Latin American country likely to escape slipping into recession this year, a senior World Bank official said on Wednesday.

The Prince of Wales returned to his Royal Navy roots on Tuesday when he visited a British frigate now in service with Chile. Charles, a former mine-sweeper commander, toured the frigate Almirante Condell with the Duchess of Cornwall during a trip to the Chilean city of Valparaiso.

Twelve South American Defence ministers meeting in Santiago de Chile urged the United States on Tuesday to end the nearly half a century economic and travel embargo on Cuba.

British honorary consul in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, John Rees said he felt greatly moved and proud after having been awarded the MBE, Member of the British Empire honour by Prince Charles, currently visiting Chile.

Bolivian president Evo Morales ordered a senior US diplomat to leave the country, accusing him of siding with opposition groups in a conspiracy against the government in La Paz.