Latin America

• Saturday, May 18th 2013 - 06:57 UTC

  Maduro admits to knowing “the IDs and all” of the 900.000 Chavistas who did not vote for him

  

  Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro admitted to knowing ‘with IDs and all’ who are the 900.000 Chavistas who crossed lines and did not vote for him in the 14 April election which anointed him as the successor of deceased Hugo Chavez.

• Saturday, May 18th 2013 - 03:30 UTC

  Argentina forces cancellation of all Lan flights by suspending ground services

  

  LAN Chile halted on Friday all its flights in Argentina until Saturday morning after the state company Intercargo which provides ground support for the airline, unilaterally decided to cancel the service despite court orders to the contrary.

• Saturday, May 18th 2013 - 03:04 UTC

  Chile confirms its commitment to the cruise industry at the Convention in Valaparaiso

  

  Chilean officials, led by Felix de Vicente Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, joined senior cruise line executives, port and destination leaders, tour operators, travel agents and suppliers for a robust Seatrade Latin America Cruise Convention in Valparaiso, Chile.

• Saturday, May 18th 2013 - 00:56 UTC

  Chile investigates alleged case of blast-fishing close to a major Humboldt rookery

  

  The bodies of sea lions, cormorants and penguins were discovered on Sunday littering a seven mile stretch of beach in Punta de Choros, northern Chile, is the proximity of the Humboldt Penguin Nature Reserve. Fisheries officials and police are investigating since there are serious suspicions that the deaths were caused by local fishermen using explosives to increase catches.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 23:02 UTC

  Chile anticipates mild slowdown after years of strong growth

  

  Chile's economy is entering a mild slowdown phase after years of strong growth said Finance Minister Felipe Larrain on Friday. Chile has been expanding at about 5.8% on average for the past three years despite global economic woes while maintaining enviably low inflation and jobless rates.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 22:51 UTC

  Colombian president Santos announces he will seek second term

  

  Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos gave advance notice Friday that he will seek a second term in the 2014 elections, though he added that, in compliance with the law, he will not make the formal announcement until six months prior to the vote.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 17:49 UTC

  World Hypertension Day: WHO says avoid processed, canned and ready-to-eat-foods

  

  At least 30% of people in the Americas suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure, for which excessive dietary salt is the main risk factor. For 1 of 3 people who have hypertension, cutting sodium intake can reduce their blood pressure to normal levels. Reducing dietary salt could also prevent an estimated 25% of heart attacks and strokes worldwide.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:51 UTC

  Argentina’s ‘autarkic project’ worsens bilateral relations and multiplies problems

  

  In an interview with the Spanish government news agency EFE, Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica said Argentina’s economic “autarkic project” “worsens” bilateral ties and “multiplies” trade troubles. Still, he ruled out pressures on Buenos Aires; “they won’t work,” he insisted.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:46 UTC

  Argentine whitewash bill turning into ugly electoral debate

  

  Argentina’s whitewashing bill or more modestly ‘tax amnesty’ has joined the political debate of the coming October mid-term elections. The tax revenue bureau or AFIP confirmed taxpayers’ “legitimate externalization right” “will not be affected” even in the “hypothetical case that the opposition manages to rally a majority parliamentary stance” after October’s legislative elections.

• Friday, May 17th 2013 - 06:33 UTC

  Bolivian congress confirms President Morales can run for re-re-election

  

  Bolivia’s Lower House passed a bill this week which would allow President Evo Morales to run for a third mandate in next years’ elections. The bill passed in an 84 to 33 vote, following a decision by the country’s Constitutional Court — whose judges were appointed by Morales — saying the re-re-election bill does not violate Bolivia’s Constitution.