Latin America

• Monday, October 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Legislators outraged with Chile's main copper company pollution

  Legislators from Chile's environmental caucus reacted angrily last week to reports that state-owned mining company CODELCO is violating legal pollution limits for their waste water – in some cases by more than 700%. Senator Guido Girardo (PPD) and Deputy Alejandro Garcia-Huidobro (UDI) demanded that company executives be personally held responsible for their company's excesses, and denounced current sanctions as insufficient.

• Sunday, October 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Correa announced Ecuador returns to OPEC next month

  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.

• Sunday, October 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Cubans listen to Fidel Castro for first time in 15 months

  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.

• Friday, October 12th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Seven companies tender for Magallanes oil blocks

  

  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.

• Friday, October 12th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Colombia gas-links with Venezuela and joins Bank of the South

  

  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.

• Friday, October 12th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  US dollar in Chilean market keeps sliding and closer to $ 490

  

  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.

• Friday, October 12th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez bans Spanish pop singer from government stadium

  

  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.

• Friday, October 12th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Nine million children in Latinamerica malnourished

  

  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,

• Thursday, October 11th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile plans to invest 17 billion US dollars in mining industry

  

  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.

• Thursday, October 11th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Venezuelans to pay price of president's moral crusade

  

  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.''