Latin America

Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 21:31 UTC
Unasur HQ to be named after Nestor Kirchner; next Friday the official ceremony

The permanent headquarters of Unasur, (Union of South American Nations) in Quito, Ecuador will be named after its first Secretary General, deceased Argentine former president Nestor Kirchner, the government of Ecuador officially announced Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 05:10 UTC
Wikileaks reveals Chilean government changed environment rules to please US interests

Wikileaks cables last week revealed that the U.S. Embassy in Santiago pressured Chilean government officials in 2009 to change environmental rules so that a controversial thermoelectric plant could be built.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 04:59 UTC
Magallanes region discusses gas prices with Chilean central government

Mining and Energy Minister Laurence Golborne met with the Citizens’ Assembly of Magallanes Region (ACM) (extreme south of Chile) after the first of a series of meetings intended to resolve the Magallanes’ gas subsidy controversy.
Wednesday, March 9th 2011 - 01:08 UTC
Piñera presented with “Star of Palestine” honour; avoids pre-1967 borders controversy

Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera visited both sides of the hotly contested Israeli- Palestine border this weekend. He reasserted his support for an independent Palestinian state, but fell short of formally recognizing the pre-1967 borders.
Tuesday, March 8th 2011 - 04:52 UTC
Chile’s Concha y Toro acquires California’s Fetzer Vineyard

Chile’s Concha y Toro, Latin America’s largest wine producer, sealed a deal this week with Brown-Forman’s Fetzer Vineyards in a transaction worth 238 million US dollars to purchase its portfolio of American wine brands. The sale is expected to close in April 2011.
Tuesday, March 8th 2011 - 00:04 UTC
Food prices have soared most in Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina

Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina are the three Latinamerican countries where food prices have climbed the most during the twelve months of 2010, according to official regional statistics.
Monday, March 7th 2011 - 23:57 UTC
US ambassadors consider Mercosur as “anti-American” according to Wikileaks

United States considers Mercosur as an “anti American” organization and fears the incorporation of Venezuela to the group made up of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay according to one of the latest Wikileaks to see light in the River Plate press.
Monday, March 7th 2011 - 23:52 UTC
Punta Arenas equally competitive to Ushuaia for the 2012/13 cruise season

Chilean authorities anticipate that for the season 2012/13, Punta Arenas will be in favourable conditions to compete with neighbouring Ushuaia in Argentina. This follows on Chilean initiatives to cut operation costs for cruise vessels dramatically and the lifting of the ban on floating casinos.
Monday, March 7th 2011 - 07:35 UTC
Toledo leads in Peruvian presidential election opinion polls

With just over a month for the presidential elections April 10, former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo continues to lead comfortably vote intention according to the latest public opinion polls. Lawmaker Keiko Fujimori and former Lima mayor Luis Castañeda are runner ups but ten points below.
Monday, March 7th 2011 - 07:28 UTC
Peru and EU to sign free trade agreement in mid March

Peru and the European Union will be signing the final documents for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in mid March, said Peruvian Trade and Tourism Minister Eduardo Ferreyros in Lima.