Ecuador is to rejoin the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, next month after a 15-year absence, announced on Saturday President Rafael Correa during his weekly radio program. The move reflects the increased state control over energy being taken by President Correa as promised during his electoral campaign.
Ailing Cuban President Fidel Castro telephoned into a television show with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Sunday, in his first live media appearance in Cuba since his health crisis nearly 15 months ago.
Seven corporations from United States, Canada, New Zealand, Egypt and Russia presented tenders for the oil and gas exploration blocks in Magallanes Region, extreme south of Chile.
Colombia formally requested to join the regional multilateral development bank known as the Bank of the South. President Alvaro Uribe made the announcement on Friday during the inauguration of a gas pipeline which links Guajira in northern Colombia with Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo area.
With the US dollar operating in the Chilean Money exchange market below the 500 pesos benchmark, and still sliding, the Chilean Central Bank decision to leave the basic rate unchanged came as a relief.
A popular Spanish singer has been banned from performing in a Caracas stadium over remarks he made about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Higher Education Minister Luis Acuña accused Alejandro Sanz of criticizing Chavez three years ago while touring Venezuela.
FAO called Friday on Latinamerican governments to fight infant malnutrition in the region which affects nine million children in the region which are born condemned to exclusion,
Chile's Mining Minister Karen Poniachik disclosed Monday that Chile is anticipating 17 billion US dollars on new gold and copper mining investment in the next five years. Poniachik said the new cash infusion is needed to replace existing mines whose reserves are running out and to bolster output.
President Hugo Chávez has announced sharp tax increases on tobacco and alcoholic beverages, amid a raft of other measures aimed at curbing luxury imports and instilling the new morality of his ''21st Century Socialism.''
This past winter's unusually cold weather in Chile's central valley had at least one benefit – the mountains were covered in snow, attracting some 600,000 skiers and snowboarders. This figure represents an 11 percent increase compared to the previous season when 522,000 visitors hit the slopes.