Politics

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 22:30 UTC

  Obama congratulates Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico on bicentennial

  

  United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico on the bicentennial of their independence to be celebrated in the course of 2010 and said she was hopeful the anniversary would also celebrate a future of “greater cooperation in the hemisphere”.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 22:15 UTC

  Insulza voted by acclamation for a second OAS five year term

  

  Chile’s Jose Miguel Insulza was re-elected Wednesday as secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) for another five-year term (2010/2015). Insulza, 66, the only candidate, was elected by acclamation at the OAS general assembly with Paraguay’s Hector Lacognata acting as president.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 21:56 UTC

  President Piñera opens world leading air and space fair in Santiago

  

  Chilean President Sebastían Piñera officially inaugurated this week the biannual International Air and Space Fair, FIDAE, which this year marks the 30th anniversary of the successful air show and the 80th anniversary of the Chilean Air Force.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 05:18 UTC

  Argentina’s top ballet dancer head of Uruguay’s Dance Company

  

  Argentina’s renowned ballet dancer Julio Bocca has been named by Uruguayan president Jose Mujica as the new director of the official Sodre Performances and Dance Company.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 02:54 UTC

  Peru made available “Mirage aircraft, missiles and pilots” in Falklands 82 conflict

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner thanked Peru for the military support and having made available aircraft, missiles and pilots in the conflict with Britain over the Falkland Islands back in 1982.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 02:12 UTC

  Peru, a strategic re-positioning of Argentine regional diplomacy

  

  “The visit of President Cristina Kirchner and the re-launching of ties with Peru is strategic for Argentina: Peru is a very important country in South America and a historic ally of Argentina”, said Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana following the signature of thirteen bilateral accords at Government House in Lima.

• Wednesday, March 24th 2010 - 02:09 UTC

  Argentina apologizes to Peru and anticipates closer political links

  

  Argentina and Peru put an end this week to sixteen years of “cold relations” with official apologies and a historic reparation from visiting President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner who also signed with her peer Alan García a Strategic Association bilateral agreement.

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 23:02 UTC

  One out of five Spaniards “below the threshold of poverty”

  

  Spain’s economic crisis had devastating effects on the quality of life of the population during 2009. According to a damning survey on living conditions in the country published by the National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas) 13.7% of households in Spain had “great difficulty” in making ends meet at the end of each month.

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 22:52 UTC

  Chile creates Emergency Jobs Program to counter massive layoffs

  

  With many Chilean companies using the ‘Fuerza Mayor’ clause to terminate contracts with their workers in the wake of the February 27 earthquake, Chile’s government this week announced creation of 13,000 new emergency jobs for the most devastated zones and the creation of special loans for the most damaged companies.

• Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 - 22:50 UTC

  Lula da Silva wants Hamas and Hezbollah in Mid East negotiations table

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva said he is willing and available to begin talks with the Palestine Hamas organization, as well as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and even Iran, to reach peace in the Middle East.