Politics

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 06:06 UTC

  Colombia and US sign bases’ agreement in closed doors ceremony

  

  Colombia and the United States signed Friday in Bogotá the controversial agreement that allows US military personnel to be stationed at seven (land, air, sea) military bases in Washington’s closest ally in the region.

• Saturday, October 31st 2009 - 01:16 UTC

  Zelaya and Micheletti agree to deal to end the institutional crisis

  

  The de facto Honduran government has agreed to an eight point deal that may allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to power ahead of elections next month. Unite States diplomats have been in the country to mediate an end to the four-month-old crisis.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 21:56 UTC

  Ecuador signs arms and energy deals with Russia: “just the beginning”

  

  President Dmitry Medvedev called new arms and energy deals between Russia and Ecuador just a beginning as Moscow strives to deepen ties in Latin America. Medvedev and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced a 22 million US dollars deal for Russia to provide Ecuador with two Mi-17 transport helicopters.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 21:51 UTC

  Ecuador to pay royalties on pharmaceutical patents

  

  Ecuador is to pay royalties to the holders of international pharmaceutical patents, basing the payments on the sale price of locally produced medicines, the Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property, or IEPI, said this week.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 11:10 UTC

  Argentina Chile plan to bore two integration tunnels under the Andes

  

  Relations between Argentina and Chile are going through an optimum moment and once we drill through the Andes, “ghosts of the past will definitively have gone”, said Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during the first of her two day visit to Chile.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 07:27 UTC

  Lula da Silva relishes in Caracas approval of Venezuela’s Mercosur entry bid

  

  Brazil's Senate foreign relations committee approved on Thursday in a divided vote Venezuela's request to join Mercosur despite concerns over President Hugo Chavez's authoritarian style of government. The vote comes when President Lula da Silva flies to Caracas to sign huge contracts for Brazilian corporations.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 06:38 UTC

  NYT praises Chile’s Bachelet handling of the crisis and her style of government

  

  The New York Times dedicated an article to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet whom she describes as among a handful of Latin American leaders, including President Lula da Silva of Brazil, whose handling of the crisis has strengthened their popularity.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 04:29 UTC

  Uruguay’s Colorados recommend voting for conservative Lacalle

  

  Uruguay’s junior opposition Colorado party has recommended its followers to support Conservative presidential candidate Luis Alberto Lacalle for the November 29th run-off with the ruling coalition’s Jose Mujica.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 03:05 UTC

  Argentina/Brazil clash over trade restrictions: what restrictions?

  

  Brazilian Minister of Development Industry and Trade, Miguel Jorge confirmed Thursday that the Brazilian government is requesting non automatic licenses for some imports from Argentina, but denied it was a reprisal because of similar measures imposed by Argentina.

• Friday, October 30th 2009 - 01:47 UTC

  Zelaya still president for 46% of Hondurans according to poll

  

  A relative majority of Hondurans consider ousted Manuel Zelaya as their president compared to the head of de facto government Roberto Micheletti, according to the latest public opinion poll from CID-Gallup released this week in Tegucigalpa.