Latin America

• Friday, February 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Anthrax outbreak in extreme Southern Chile village

  

  Chile's acting Agriculture minister Cecilia Leiva said on Friday health authorities are working “to minimize the risks” of an outbreak of anthrax in a small village of farmers and fishermen in the extreme south of the country.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Menchu to run for president in Guatemala

  

  Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu on Wednesday announced that she will run for the presidency of Guatemala in the country's September elections, a move likely fuel talk about an Indian resurgence in Latin American politics.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  LAN becomes majority holder of Argentine affiliate

  

  Chile's flag carrier LAN airlines increased the share of its Argentine affiliate to 70%, following 2006 reforms to the Argentine Aeronautical code authorizing foreigners to have a majority stake in commercial airlines, reports the Buenos Aires press.

• Thursday, February 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela offers financial support to Ecuador

  

  Venezuela has set aside 500 million US dollars for cooperation with Ecuador although how the financing would be extended has still not been decided, said Thursday Venezuelan Finance minister Rodrigo Cabezas.

• Wednesday, February 21st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean salmon and trout exports reach 2.2 billion in 2006

  Chilean salmon and trout exports in 2006 totaled 2.207 billion US dollars, up 28% over 2005 according to the Salmon Industry Association, (SalmonChile). United States was the main market for Chilean salmon and trout overtaking Japan.

• Wednesday, February 21st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela's Chavez grants Kirchner more financial support

  

  Argentina and Venezuela signed Wednesday several agreements establishing ever closer cooperation and financial links including a joint issue of a 1.5 billion US dollars Bond of the South.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombia names former hostage Foreign Affairs minister

  

  Colombian president Alvaro Uribe appointed Fernando Araújo Perdomo as Foreign Affairs minister, a former cabinet member who on December 31 escaped from six year guerrilla captivity.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuelan cheap fuel for 250.000 London bus users

  London's Mayor Ken Livingstone signed an oil deal with Venezuela providing cheap fuel for London's buses and giving cut price travel for those on benefits, reports the BBC.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Morales: “My job is to take care of the poor”

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales vowed to continue what he called his ''peaceful, democratic revolution'' and insisted that his job “is to take care of the poor”.

• Sunday, February 18th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Peru intent on austerity, to auction a “frivolity symbol”

  The Peruvian government has decided to auction the presidential aircraft as part of its austerity policy announced cabinet chief Jorge del Castillo. Earlier in the week President Alan García described the aircraft as a “frivolity symbol”.