Latin America

• Sunday, May 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean income growth remained near stagnant in 2007

  Despite near stagnant income growth Chile has the third largest income growth in Latinamerica. Chilean workers' wages rose 8.6% from this time last year. However, consumer price inflation surged at 8%, so real incomes grew a mere 0.6% compared to the first quarter of 2007, the National Statistics Institute (INE) reported.

• Saturday, May 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Colombia military confirms rebel leader “Sureshot” is dead

  Colombia's Defense Ministry said Saturday it believes the legendary leader of Latin America's largest guerrilla army is dead and President Alvaro Uribe announced he is willing to offer rebels who free hostages “conditional liberty” and passage abroad.

• Friday, May 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile Bachelet's State of the Nation speech energy laden

  Chilean President Michelle Bachelet chimed into the national energy debate Wednesday, using her annual May 21 State of the Nation speech to downplay the country's current electricity scarcity – which she described as “transitory” – and to plug the continued use of Chile's waterways for hydroelectric generation.

• Friday, May 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Overflowed rivers leave Santiago short of drinking water

  Vast areas of metropolitan Santiago de Chile have no water or in short supply forcing education authorities to close schools, government and private.

• Friday, May 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Santiago emergency: schools closed and short on drinking water

  Santiago de Chile's mayor Alvaro Erazo criticized on Friday water supplier Aguas Andinas for having left the south side of the city without drinking water following on heavy storms that flooded many of Chile's capital main canals and drainage system.

• Wednesday, May 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile and Uruguay most “peaceful” countries in region

  Chile and Uruguay lead Latinamerican countries in the Global Peace Index, GPI, while Colombia and Venezuela figure as the most violent in the region according to the 2008 GPI released this week in London and which ranks 140 nations according to their relative states of peace.

• Wednesday, May 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean 6.000 kmts coastline to become whales' sanctuary

  

  Chile's coastline is to become a whales sanctuary announced on Wednesday Chilean president Michelle Bachelet in her annual state of the country address to Congress.

• Wednesday, May 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina, Brazil and Chile voted into Human Rights Council

  Argentina, Brazil and Chile figure among the 15 members elected on Wednesday to the Human Rights Council while Spain, Sri Lanka and Timor did not muster sufficient votes.

• Wednesday, May 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile has endemic two digits youth unemployment rate

  Youth unemployment in Chile is far higher than that of adults, and has been for years. According to a study by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the youth unemployment rate in Chile in the last ten years has been, on average, three times higher than that of adults.

• Monday, May 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina warn Bolivian separatist movement

  

  Brazil and Argentina reaffirmed their full support to Bolivia's president Evo Morales stating that trade agreements will only be signed with the Bolivian elected national government.