Latin America

• Wednesday, September 22nd 2010 - 04:10 UTC

  Venezuelan opposition calls on the electorate to vote “without fear” next Sunday

  

  The Venezuelan opposition has called the electorate to vote “without fear” on next Sunday's elections, where some 17.7 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots to renew the 165 seats in the National Assembly.

• Tuesday, September 21st 2010 - 05:45 UTC

  Chavez calls followers “to battle’ for two thirds control of the Assembly

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez called on his followers to see next Sunday’s legislative election as a “battle” that needs to ensure the government’s majority in the National Assembly.
  “We’re soldiers in battle…this is the final offensive”, said the Venezuelan leader.

• Monday, September 20th 2010 - 02:15 UTC

  Disagreement over terrorist extradition could sour Chile/Argentine relations

  

  After a lack of agreement in Chile over the extradition of ex guerrilla member Sergio Apablaza, Argentina President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said that the meeting held with President Sebastián Piñera was an “excellent” one, during declarations made to seemingly minimize the situation.

• Monday, September 20th 2010 - 02:11 UTC

  Vargas Llosa fears manipulation of Venezuela legislative elections

  

  The renowned Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa fears manipulation of the coming legislative elections in Venezuela, masterminded by President Hugo Chavez, whom together with other Latinamerican leaders he defines as “caudillos”.

• Saturday, September 18th 2010 - 09:43 UTC

  Venezuela’s Jewish community leaders satisfied after meeting with Chavez

  

  Leaders of Venezuela's Jewish community met with President Hugo Chavez on Thursday to discuss their concerns about possible anti-Semitism in state media and to ask for the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel.

• Saturday, September 18th 2010 - 09:35 UTC

  Bolivarian governments preach Socialism but have serious democratic deficiencies

  

  Bolivarian governments preach Socialism and work for the dispossessed but also have serious shortcomings since they ignore basic democratic standards in freedom of the press, human rights, and citizenry participation according to Norbert Neuser, member of the European Parliament.

• Saturday, September 18th 2010 - 09:27 UTC

  Venezuelan government airline grounds all flights for technical review of fleet

  

  The government-owned Venezuelan airline involved in a fatal a plane crash Monday in which 16 people were killed has grounded all flights Friday for 14 days to perform a technical review of its fleet, the Conviasa airline announced.

• Saturday, September 18th 2010 - 03:41 UTC

  Women “guardians” to look after Chavez and ensure victory on September 26

  

  With less than ten days to crucial legislative elections Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez took the oath to the “Guardians of Chavez” a group of women tasked with the mission of defending the Bolivarian revolution and the permanence of the populist leader in office.

• Friday, September 17th 2010 - 06:39 UTC

  Successful testing of ninth out of ten oil-wells in extreme south of Chile

  

  Latin American oil and gas firm GeoPark Holdings Ltd said on Thursday it successfully drilled and tested a new well in the Guanaco oil field on the Fell Block in the extreme south of Chile.

• Thursday, September 16th 2010 - 21:25 UTC

  Distribution of land deeds among locals defuses conflict in Chile’s Easter Island

  

  Chile’s Interior Ministry Undersecretary Rodrigo Ubilla announced this week that more than 30 Easter Island title deeds will be delivered to Rapa Nui families within the next 60 days.