Latin America

• Wednesday, May 29th 2013 - 20:37 UTC

  Copahue volcano eruption imminent

  

  After the Copahue volcano on the Neuquén provincial Andean border with Chile began spewing smoke due to an increase in seismic activity, a red alert was issued by Chilean authorities ordering the full evacuation of an estimated 3,000 people.

• Tuesday, May 28th 2013 - 07:01 UTC

  Biden in Colombia praises peace talks and success of bilateral trade agreement

  

  In his first visit to Colombia in more than a decade, US Vice President Joe Biden said on Monday that he is pleased security concerns can now take a back seat to trade and economic issues in talks with Washington’s long-time ally. Biden also praised President Juan Manuel Santos for helping lead Latin America toward a “middle class, democratic and secure” future.

• Tuesday, May 28th 2013 - 06:38 UTC

  Lawmakers accuse Cristina Fernandez before a federal court of falsifying stats

  

  Several Argentine lawmakers from opposition parties accused President Cristina Fernandez and Domestic Trade minister Guillermo Moreno of allegedly ‘falsifying” the figures published by the government’s official stats office Indec.

• Tuesday, May 28th 2013 - 06:27 UTC

  Further drop in Latam average regional urban unemployment, says UN agency

  

  The average regional urban unemployment rate could drop by up to 0.2 percentage points to stand between 6.4% and 6.2% in 2013, the lowest rate in recent decades, according to a new report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

• Tuesday, May 28th 2013 - 06:00 UTC

  Fearing Andes volcano eruption, Chile and Argentina order mandatory evacuation

  

  Chilean and Argentine authorities declared a red alert and ordered the mandatory evacuation of a 25-km radius around the active Copahue volcano, which straddles the border between the two Andean nations.

• Monday, May 27th 2013 - 08:13 UTC

  Chile fines and suspends Barrick Gold for contamination at major project

  

  Chilean authorities have fined the world's largest gold mining company, Barrick Gold Corp, more than 16 million dollars for environmental offences. Construction at the Pascua-Lama mine, on the border with Argentina, has been suspended until a system to contain contaminated water is put in place.

• Monday, May 27th 2013 - 07:18 UTC

  “The Malvinas are Argentine, but also Latinamerican” says President Correa

  

  “The Malvinas Islands are not only Argentine, they are Latinamerica”, said Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa who claimed it was time to put an end to the ‘colonial situation’ of the disputed Islands in the South Atlantic and blasted the Organization of American States, OAS for dragging its feet on this and other crucial issues for the continent.

• Monday, May 27th 2013 - 02:59 UTC

  Colombia and rebels reach agreement of agrarian reform and development of rural areas

  

  Colombia and the Marxist-led FARC rebels have reached agreement on the critical issue of agrarian reform, the two sides said in what appeared to be a major step forward for the peace process aimed at ending their long war.

• Monday, May 27th 2013 - 02:54 UTC

  Brazil warns Uruguay on Pacific Alliance plans: Mercosur can only act as ‘a block’

  

  Mercosur must negotiate any possible incorporation to the Alliance of the Pacific “as a block” since it is important that its member countries remain ‘united’ and respect the current charter, said the Mercosur High Representative, Ambassador Ivan Ramalho from Brazil.

• Monday, May 27th 2013 - 01:49 UTC

  Paraguay demands respect from Mercosur, “if not leave us as we are”

  

  The Argentine ambassador to Uruguay, Dante Dovena, assured that authorities are “working intensely” in preparations for the next Mercosur summit scheduled to take place on June 28th in Montevideo. However news form Paraguay doesn’t indicate the same optimism and are demanding respect for ‘the country’s dignity and rule of the law”.