Latin America

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales travels to Russia for energy deal

  Bolivian President Evo Morales is scheduled to visit Russia February 16 to sign formal agreements enabling Russia's state-run OAO Gazprom to invest in Bolivia's natural gas industry.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuador President Correa Expels US Embassy Attache

  

  Ecuador's left-wing president has ordered the expulsion of a senior US diplomat, accusing him of suspending aid to Ecuador's anti-drugs programme.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  UN warns poverty “may soar” by 15% in Latinamerica

  

  The global financial crisis could cause poverty to rise in Latin America by as much as 15% this year, a senior UN official has warned. Rebeca Grynspan, regional head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said Latin American governments needed to take action urgently.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  “Pisco Sour Day” celebration in Peru challenges Chile

  

  Peru begun on Saturday the celebration of “Pisco Sour Day”, a cocktail considered national cultural heritage and whose origin denomination is under dispute with neighbouring Chile. The celebration includes huge open parties, free tasting, dancing, gastronomy related to the emblematic drink also called the “flag liquor” of Peru.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela appeals to reserves to sustain public spending

  

  Venezuela will spend 1.65 billion US dollars from its National Development Fund in the first quarter to sustain public spending after a drop in international crude prices and the global slowdown have affected the country, said President Hugo Chavez.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 01:59 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales: New constitution takes effect

  

  Evo Morales, Bolivia's president, has enacted a new constitution which hands greater powers to the country's indigenous majority and allows him to seek a second five-year term.

• Friday, February 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombia's FARC releases last civilian hostage

  

  Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces, FARC, released Thursday the last civilian among a group of 22 so-called political captives held by the rebels. Two Red Cross helicopters were involved in the release of the former lawmaker Sigifredo Lopez, 45, held captive by the drug-funded group for almost seven years.

• Friday, February 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  FARC committed war crimes and act on paranoiac cowardice

  

  The last civilian hostage to be released by the Colombian rebel group FARC revealed that eleven of his kidnapped peers were killed shot in the back, by the guerrillas in an act of what he described as “paranoiac cowardice”.

• Friday, February 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile's growth slows significantly in last 2008 quarter

  

  Chile's economy grew 0.5% in December, the worst performance for that month in a decade, according to the latest figures released on Thursday by the country's Central Bank.

• Friday, February 6th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Lowest January inflation in Chile since 1943: minus 0.8%

  Consumer inflation in Chile during January dropped 0.8%, the lowest since the same month in 1943, accumulating 6.3% in the last twelve months, according to the latest report from the country's Statistics Institute, INE.