Latin America

• Friday, May 8th 2009 - 10:22 UTC

  Chavez to begin taking over oil industry contractors

  

  State owned Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. PDVSA, will begin Friday taking over control of some oil-field services currently being provided by private firms, President Hugo Chávez said.

• Friday, May 8th 2009 - 04:46 UTC

  IMF forecasts “relatively good” performance for Latam economy

  

  Economic activity in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), sharply affected by the global economic crisis, is expected to contract by 1.5% in 2009, from about 4.5% growth in 2008, before rebounding next year, according to the latest forecast for the region by the International Monetary Fund.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 13:49 UTC

  Ministers meet to advance creation of South American development bank

  

  Economy and Finance ministers from seven South American countries are scheduled to meet Friday in Buenos Aires to advance in the creation of the Bank of the South, a financial institution to fund infrastructure and development projects in the region.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 13:44 UTC

  Sao Paulo, Santiago best cities for business in Latinamerica

  

  Business journal América Economía last week ranked Santiago as the second best city in Latin America for business, just behind Sao Paulo and ahead of Miami, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 11:40 UTC

  Businesses in Mexico City reopen; masks for workers and customers

  

  Many businesses in Mexico have re-opened after a five-day shutdown caused by the A/H1N1 influenza outbreak that killed 44 people, including two in the US. From Thursday, all businesses in Mexico City can re-open, so long as they follow hygiene guidelines, including masks for all workers and customers.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 08:48 UTC

  Paraguay and Bolivian Indians plight in the limelight

  

  The director of the British-based organization Survival this week urged the Paraguayan government not to authorize a Brazilian livestock company to operate on lands of the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode Indians while in Bolivia a UN mission discovered Indian communities subjected to forced labour.

• Thursday, May 7th 2009 - 05:33 UTC

  Chile can become a major player in the global lamb and wool markets

  

  Chile, more precisely the Magallanes region in the extreme south of the country, could play a major role in the global lamb and wool markets? Yes says Jose Marin a Magallanes sheep farmer who has a flock of 135.000, mostly Merino, Corriedale and Meat Merino and thirty years experience and innovation in the industry, reports El Mercurio.

• Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 10:28 UTC

  Martinelli’s victory in Panama has turned into a conservative landslide

  

  Sunday’s conservative victory in Panama is turning into a landslide: the winning party Democratic Change, CD, headed by president elect Ricardo Martinelli will also hold a majority in Congress.

• Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 04:10 UTC

  US Free trade agreement, top priority of Panama’s president-elect

  

  Panama's president-elect Ricardo Martinelli has said finalising a free trade deal with the United States is a priority. Martinelli, a supermarket tycoon, beat the governing centre-left party's candidate by more than 20 points in Sunday's presidential election.

• Wednesday, May 6th 2009 - 02:56 UTC

  Mexico furious with countries restricting its imports alleging flu

  

  Mexico says it has written to the World Trade Organization (WTO), demanding an explanation from countries which have restricted its imports over A/H1N1 flu.