Latin America

• Monday, August 27th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazilian company buys main Chilean abattoir in Tierra del Fuego

  

  A leading Brazilian meat industry group Marfrig acquired an abattoir in Tierra del Fuego belonging to a group of cattle farmers from Magallanes Region, reports La Prensa Austral from Punta Arenas. The operation involved 8.5 million US dollars.

• Monday, August 27th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Punta Arenas, the second most expensive city in Chile

  

  Punta Arenas figures as the second most expensive city in Chile behind the capital Santiago, according to the latest report from the Business School of the Universidad del Desarrollo released this week.

• Saturday, August 25th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  UN steps up assistance for Peruvian quake victims

  

  United Nations is bolstering its assistance through the release of almost 10 million US dollars from an emergency fund and an appeal for nearly 40 million to be launched next week to victims of the major earthquake which rocked Peru on 15 August, one of the world body's top humanitarian officials revealed Friday.

• Saturday, August 25th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Peru's president García gesture towards Chile

  

  Dampening speculation of a growing rift between the two neighboring countries, Peruvian President Alan Garcia this week traveled to a shared Chilean-Peruvian border area to promote further economic integration between Peru and Chile.

• Saturday, August 25th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Evo Morales arrived to Peru with 19 tons of medicines

  

  Bolivia's President Evo Morales arrived in Pisco today to distribute 19 tons of medicines, blankets and drinking water, the second visit by a Latin American leader to the disaster area. Colombia's Alvaro Uribe traveled to the area last weekend.

• Friday, August 24th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Limited supplies make wheat prices reach record highs

  

  Wheat prices hit record highs this week. Bad weather in key grain growing areas such as Canada and parts of Europe has limited supplies as demand has risen, sparking fears of a supply shortfall and threats of rising bread prices.

• Thursday, August 23rd 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica and East Asia meet to boost trade ties

  

  Foreign ministers and envoys from 33 Latin America and East Asian countries on Wednesday opened in Brasilia two days of talks here to boost fledgling trade ties and build links between the far-flung regions.

• Thursday, August 23rd 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Cepal forecasts commodities boom to continue 5/10 years

  

  Latinamerica is poised to enjoy exceptionally high prices for its exports during the next five to ten years given the growing demand for commodities from China and India, according to a report from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, Cepal.

• Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Hurricane Dean targets Mexican oilfields in the Bay of Campeche

  

  Dean smashed up the arty resort of Tulum and washed sand off the famous beach at Cancun before crossing the peninsula and heading out into the southern Gulf of Mexico where state oil company Pemex has hundreds of wells and installations.

• Wednesday, August 22nd 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Former IMF official recommends labor flexibility in Chile

  

  Anne Krueger, the former number two official in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), recommended greater labor flexibility for Chile's labor market on Monday. The economist also took a hard stance against arguments for an “ethical salary” for Chile's wage owners, a subject of much debate today in Chile.