Latin America

• Wednesday, May 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Growing fears of a major eruption from the Chaiten volcano

  Chilean authorities declared on Tuesday a maximum alert and ordered the complete evacuation of two towns after the Chaiten volcano, erupting nearby, increased its activity, spewing out lava and ash.

• Wednesday, May 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF helping Latam with second effects of food prices

  IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned on Wednesday about soaring food prices and the need to cushion the impact on the poor and revealed that the fund is already advising governments and central banks in Latin America on how to limit the second-round effects of the price shocks on the poor.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chaiten volcano gives no rest and thickens ash blanket

  

  More than 5 000 people had been evacuated in southern Chile, following the eruption of the Chaiten volcano. On Monday, authorities evacuated the town of Futaleufu, some 60 kilometers from the volcano while the remaining residents of the town of Chaiten had left over the weekend.

• Tuesday, May 6th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Regional efforts to solve Bolivia's political impasse

  

  The Organization of American States Secretary General, OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza praised on Monday the Bolivian promoters of the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum for having expressed no secessionists or contrary to law intentions.

• Monday, May 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  US nuke carrier in S. Atlantic exercises with Argentine Navy

  

  The huge nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington has reached Argentine waters ready to begin annual naval exercises with its Argentine counterpart in the South Atlantic

• Sunday, May 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Dubai begins expansion of Peru's main port El Callao

  

  Global port operator Dubai Ports World has started the construction of the 300 million US dollars Muelle Sur Container Terminal at the Port of El Callao, Peru.

• Sunday, May 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Morales says “referendum failed” but calls for dialogue

  

  The richest region of Bolivia, Santa Cruz voted overwhelmingly for autonomy on Sunday in a vote widely seen as a rejection of President Evo Morales' radical reforms. However President Morales said the referendum “had failed categorically” because less than 50% had voted and called all governors to build a “true autonomy”.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Erupting volcano ash blanket in Chile moves to Argentina

  

  The Chilean Navy has begun the evacuation of 2.000 people who were forcibly displaced from their villages in southern Chile after a volcano considered dormant for thousands of years became active belching fire and ash, and generating minor earth tremors that continued on Saturday.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  OAS supports Bolivia unity in eve of crucial autonomy vote

  

  Following long discussions until early Saturday morning, the Organization of American States, OAS, supported the territorial integrity of Bolivia but abstained from condemning the autonomy referendum which is scheduled for Sunday in the province of Santa Cruz, the country's richest.

• Friday, May 2nd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez nationalizes Argentine foundry, Venezuela's largest

  

  President Hugo Chavez ordered the expropriation of Venezuela's largest steel maker after attempts by the government to acquire a majority stake in the Italian-Argentine conglomerate Techint failed.