Latin America

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 14:19 UTC

  Colombian president says he has FARC leader and his command on target

  

  Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos said this week that military forces know the exact hiding place and movements of the FARC guerrilla maximum leader, Alfonso Cano, and brushed aside any chance that he might escape.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 05:05 UTC

  European Commission told to tighten controls on aid to avoid ‘waste and leakage’

  

  The European Court of Auditors has called on the European Commission to assess the high risks involved, including corruption, when large sums of EC aid are channelled directly through public budgets in developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 04:59 UTC

  Ecuadorian president closer to tighter grip of government, including the Judiciary

  

  Ecuador's constitutional Court approved this week a 10-question referendum that will let voters decide whether to ban gambling and bullfighting but also ask them to boost President Rafael Correa's power over the judiciary.

• Friday, February 18th 2011 - 00:44 UTC

  Chile’s Peaceable Kingdom Image Challenged

  

  by COHA Research Associates Joss Douglas and Samantha Nadler
  On the tiny, legendary Pacific speck of land known as Easter Island, located 2,000 miles from the Chilean coastline, the ongoing non-violent protests being staged by the Hito family at the Hotel Hanga Roa came to a climax on Sunday February 6, 2011. Fifty armed members of the Chilean national police force (los Carabineros) mounted an illegal raid on the hotel and forcefully evicted the family that has occupied the grounds since August 2010. This action was in direct violation of a judicial order against their dislodgement

• Thursday, February 17th 2011 - 23:09 UTC

  Bolivia’s powerful unions turn on President Morales to protest food prices

  

  Bolivia’s powerful Workers Union, COB, called for a 24 hours general strike Friday against the government of President Evo Morales to protest food and public transport price hikes.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 13:50 UTC

  Up to 10% of rice sold in Chinese markets tainted with heavy metals

  

  Recent research has concluded that 10% of the rice sold in China’s markets is likely to be tainted with heavy metals, but agricultural experts said the pollution is confined to particular regions and there is no call for panic.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 06:08 UTC

  Bolivia will appeal to Central bank reserves to stockpile food staples

  

  Bolivia prepared to tap its record 10 billion US dollars in central bank reserves to help boost agricultural production and stockpile food staples as a hedge against a looming global “food crisis” Finance Minister Luis Arce said.

• Wednesday, February 16th 2011 - 06:01 UTC

  Chevron will appeal 8.6 billion ‘extortive’ fine imposed by Ecuador judges

  

  US oil giant Chevron says it will appeal against an 8.6 billion US dollars fine imposed by Ecuador judges, carrying on a long-running row over pollution. Chevron's Kent Robertson told the BBC the case was an “extortion scheme”, and accused Ecuador's state-run firm of polluting the country's Amazon region.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 23:02 UTC

  Worldwide in 2010, 44 journalists were killed; most vulnerable local reporters

  

  At least 44 journalists were killed worldwide because of their jobs last year, with Pakistan the deadliest country to work in, a rights group said Tuesday.

• Tuesday, February 15th 2011 - 05:45 UTC

  Latinamerican countries call on Japan to cease “scientific whaling”

  

  Nine Latinamerican countries that make up the “Buenos Aires Group” have called on Japan to put an end to “scientific whaling” as vessels take off for the new hunting season in the Southern Hemisphere.