Latin America

Tuesday, June 24th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Cristina among the three worst rated presidents

Six months into office Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner honeymoon with the electorate is over and under. Her standing is also at the bottom rock of a list of Latinamerican and US leaders according to the latest public opinion poll from the renowned Mexican consulting firm Mitofsky.
Monday, June 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuelan economy displaces Argentina as third largest

Venezuela will replace Chile as the country with the region's highest GDP per capita and Argentina as the region's third-largest economy, according to a Latin Business Chronicle analysis of data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Saturday, June 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Punta Arenas short of staples because of farmers' conflict

Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is suffering a critical shortage of staples mainly sugar, rice and flour as a direct consequence of the Argentine farmers conflict that has been dragging for over 100 days.
Friday, June 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Venezuela formalizes nationalization of cement industry

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's nationalization of three foreign-owned cement businesses took effect on Thursday with the publication of the resolution in the Official Gazette according to the government run Bolivarian News Agency.
Friday, June 20th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
EU lifts Cuba sanctions to the dismay of U.S.

The European Union agreed to lift limited sanctions against Cuba, a hotly contested move designed to encourage the country's new government under Raúl Castro to liberalize
Thursday, June 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Roughly 60% Chileans in debt; 80% overspends

Roughly 60% of the Chilean population is in debt, according to a study published this week by the country's Central Bank. And perhaps surprisingly, middle class Chileans account for about 67% of the debt.
Wednesday, June 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Bolivia closer to the sea: Chile grants free access in Iquique

Chile announced on Tuesday that the northern port of Iquique will be of free transit for Bolivia and suggested advances on the bilateral negotiation agenda for ending Bolivia's landlocked condition which dates back to 1879/1883 when the so called Pacific or Saltpeter war (*).
Wednesday, June 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
ISA has reached salmon farms in Magallanes Region

Salmon Infectious Anemia (ISA) which has been ravaging the salmon industry in Chile has reached the extreme south region of Magallanes, according to the country's Fisheries Service.
Wednesday, June 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
US anticipates military defeat for the Colombian FARC

Thomas Shannon US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs said he didn't discard a military defeat of the rebel guerrilla group FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) because of the latest blows it has suffered in recent months from Colombian forces.
Wednesday, June 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC
Military expenditure in South America, lowest in the world

Military expenditure in the twelve countries of South America, according to 2008 budgets, has reached a record 50 billion US dollars which is 2.5% higher than in 2007.