Politics

• Thursday, January 25th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuadorians support re writing constitution and new Congress

  

  A majority of Ecuadorians support President Rafael Correa's proposal to amend the Constitution and change the country's one house legislative branch, according go a Cedatos/Gallup opinion poll released this week.

• Thursday, January 25th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivia's Morales reshuffles cabinet and ratifies reforms

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales reshuffled this week almost half of his sixteen members' cabinet a day after celebrating his first year in office.

• Thursday, January 25th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile to clip military procurement copper fed fund

  

  Chile's Defence Minister Vivianne Blanlot submitted this week a detailed report of the controversial Copper Reserve Law, reaffirming the desire of the government of President Michelle Bachelet to modify or repeal the Pinochet-era legislation.

• Thursday, January 25th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Finnish government “does not interfere with private sector”

  

  In spite of the insistent protests and Thursday's colorful march in downtown Buenos Aires against the construction of a controversial Finnish pulp mill in Uruguay, the Embassy of Finland said that the Helsinki government does not interfere with private undertakings.

• Wednesday, January 24th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Pulp mills: new round of shuttle diplomacy by Spain's envoy

  

  Argentina on Wednesday reiterated confidence in Spain's dialogue “facilitating” efforts and called for “collaboration” in reaching a solution for the diplomatic conflict with Uruguay over the construction or pulp mills.

• Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  ICJ turns down Uruguay's request; pickets to continue

  

  The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague turned down on Tuesday a request by Uruguay to force Argentina to end blockades of roads and bridges linking the neighbouring countries in protest over the construction of a paper mill on the Uruguayan side.

• Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Pickets celebrated but call for “political solution”

  Argentine pickets in the city of Gualeguaychu, the main bastion protesting the construction of a pulp mill on the Uruguayan side reacted with surprise, joy but also soberness to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling which turned down Uruguay's request to force Argentina to end blockades.

• Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Pull mills dispute: Argentina invites Uruguay to dialogue

  Argentina called on neighboring Uruguay to dialogue about the construction of pulp mills following the International Court of Justice, ICJ, ruling that turned down Uruguay's request for an end to road and bridge blockades by pickets protesting alleged contamination from the controversial plants.

• Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay “deeply concerned” with summits' protocol routine

  

  Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez said he was “deeply concerned” fearing that the recurrent regional summit with the participation of Latinamerican leaders could turn into a mere “protocol routine”.

• Monday, January 22nd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Possible mustard gas poisoning of former Chilean president

  

  Former Chilean president Eduardo Frei Montalvo who died in 1982 could have been poisoned with mustard gas, according to a report from the Belgian University of Gant which is currently in the hands of the Chilean judge who has the case.