Latin America

• Saturday, April 2nd 2011 - 20:09 UTC

  Unasur leaders letter to Ban Ki-moon in support of Argentina’s Malvinas claim

  

  Unasur (Union of South American Nations) leaders sent UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon a letter dated April 2 in support of Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falklands Islands.

• Saturday, April 2nd 2011 - 15:56 UTC

  Chile Medical Schools’ accreditation system for students sparks controversy

  

  Out of the 19 universities in Chile whose students took the Examen Médico Nacional (EMN), (National Medicine Exam) three accounted for over half of the students who failed the test.

• Saturday, April 2nd 2011 - 07:57 UTC

  Latam wind energy expanded 50% in 2010; Argentina has the greatest potential

  

  Installed wind farm capacity in Latin America grew by 50% during 2010, and more than 2,000 MW of wind power are now operating across the region, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, GWEC.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 16:33 UTC

  Chilean politicians’ expertise helps democratic transition in Egypt

  

  As upheaval continues across the Middle East, the path towards democracy is far from clear. A civil war is raging in Libya as protests become deadly in Syria. The leader
  of Yemen is negotiating his removal from power, and Saudi Arabian forces have been called in to help “maintain order” on the streets of Bahrain.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 06:47 UTC

  Number of Chileans travelling abroad by air in summer doubled in ten years

  

  The number of Chileans choosing to travel abroad by air in the summer months has increased by 17% from last year, and is double the number who travelled in 2001.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 01:54 UTC

  Mujica: we need Venezuela in Mercosur “to help balance the group”

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica promised his peer Hugo Chavez he would press strongly for Venezuela’s incorporation as full member of Mercosur because this will help balance the group.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 01:37 UTC

  In spite of Mercosur “unfulfilled agenda”, there will be trade agreement with EU

  

  Uruguay’s Vice-president Danilo Astori said that Mercosur “unfulfilled agenda” will not affect the chances of reaching an agreement with the European Union which if finally achieved will also help the “block to work better”.

• Friday, April 1st 2011 - 01:19 UTC

  Mexico interested in joining “the successful Unasur club”

  

  Mexico is interested in joining Unasur, Union of South American Nations, according to the country’s Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Ruben Beltrán. “When a club is successful one wants to join in”, said Beltran during a visit to Quito where he met Unasur officials.

• Thursday, March 31st 2011 - 23:57 UTC

  Jimmy Carter calls for the end of US embargo and democracy in Cuba

  

  Former US president Jimmy Carter - on a visit to Cuba - has criticized US policy towards the island. Carter said the decades-long US trade embargo and travel ban damaged the Cuban people and hindered rather than helped reform.
  He also urged the Cuban government to move towards democracy and allow complete freedom of speech.

• Thursday, March 31st 2011 - 14:00 UTC

  Chavez warns: if capitalism returns to Venezuela, it’s the end of oil cooperation

  

  President Hugo Chavez confirmed he would run for re-election in 2012 and made a strong call for regional unity warning that “if capitalism returns to Venezuela” it would mark the end of oil cooperation.