Politics

• Wednesday, February 11th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  First Chilean president visit to Cuba in four decades

  

  Chilean President Michelle Bachelet began Wednesday a three day official visit to Cuba, the first such visit by a Chilean leader in almost four decades.

• Tuesday, February 10th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Presidential hopefuls' inflation in Uruguay's ruling coalition

  

  The Uruguayan ruling coalition Broad Front made the official launching Monday of the third presidential hopeful for June primaries: Marcos Carambula who is mayor of the second most important electoral circumscription after Montevideo.

• Monday, February 9th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Foreign Office under financial strain by weak sterling

  

  The collapse in the value of the British pound will put the Foreign Office (FCO) under “serious financial pressures” in the coming year, a parliamentary report warned.

• Monday, February 9th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Bilateral trade talks between EU and each Andean country

  

  Delegates from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru begin Monday in Bogotá the first round of negotiations to reach a trade agreement with the European Union which should be completed by mid year.

• Monday, February 9th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Aerolineas takeover shadows Cristina K visit to Spain

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner began on Monday her first official visit to Spain amid expectations that she would try to reduce tension over the expropriation of the airline Aerolineas Argentinas from the Spanish tourism group Marsans.

• Monday, February 9th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  WTO debate to assess protectionism and trade barriers

  World Trade Organisation (WTO) members met on Monday to assess how far the financial crisis has encouraged protectionism. Diplomats representing rich and poor countries discussed WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy's January report showing countries had ignored the Group of 20 nations' plea in November against raising trade barriers.

• Monday, February 9th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia, Venezuela, South Africa need visas to enter UK

  

  Bolivia and Venezuelans, South Africans and citizens from Lesotho and Swaziland visiting the United Kingdom will need a visa, under new rules issued by the Home Office. The named countries failed a test of the threat posed by their citizens in terms of security, immigration and crime.

• Monday, February 9th 2009 - 19:59 UTC

  Police agents accused of attack on Venezuelan synagogue

  

  Seven Venezuelan police agents and four civilians have been arrested in connection with an attack on a synagogue, according to reports in the Caracas press. President Hugo Chavez, whom Jewish groups accuse of encouraging anti-Semitism, referred to the arrests and said the attack was led by a police officer who had worked closely with the rabbi at the synagogue.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales travels to Russia for energy deal

  Bolivian President Evo Morales is scheduled to visit Russia February 16 to sign formal agreements enabling Russia's state-run OAO Gazprom to invest in Bolivia's natural gas industry.

• Sunday, February 8th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuador President Correa Expels US Embassy Attache

  

  Ecuador's left-wing president has ordered the expulsion of a senior US diplomat, accusing him of suspending aid to Ecuador's anti-drugs programme.