Colombia recalled its top diplomat in Venezuela’s second largest city last week after President Hugo Chávez threatened to expel the official for allegedly expressing support for his political opponents. Chávez criticized Colombia’s consul in Maracaibo, Carlos Galvis, for privately welcoming… Read moreColombian consul recalled from Venezuela’s restive Zulia state
Former FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt met with Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa in Quito Dec. 3 on her tour of South American capitals to line up leaders’ support for her campaign to free those still being held by the Colombian guerillas…. Read moreEcuador backs Betancourt mission to free FARC hostages
A worldwide slump in zinc prices threatens Bolivia’ss second-largest export as companies reduce output and close mines, officials said. “We’re worried about zinc not only because of falling prices but because it’s the principal mineral that we mine in Bolivia,”… Read moreZinc slump threatens Bolivian mining sector
Bolivian opposition leaders Dec. 4 accused an international commission of bias toward President Evo Morales in its report on a September jungle “massacre.” The new report by the Union of South American Nations names 19 people confirmed killed in the… Read moreBolivian opposition blasts report on Pando massacre
BPZ Resources of Houston received a permit from Lima’s Energy Ministry to build a gas plant in northern Peru near the border with Ecuador this week. The plant, to be supplied by BPZ’s offshore Bloc Z-1 field, will fuel a… Read moreTexan firm wins deal for Peru gas plant
Peru’s President Alan GarcĂa declared that his nation’s long dispute with Chile was over Dec. 5 after removing his army chief Gen. Edwin Donayre, who caused outrage with an anti-Chilean tirade that surfaced on YouTube. In the video, Donayre told… Read morePeru removes army chief, ends 125-year dispute with Chile?
Three leftist Venezuelan unionists were shot dead the night of Nov. 27 in the city of Cagua, southwest of Caracas in Aragua state, just days after two of them ran unsuccessfully in Nov. 23 state and municipal elections. In what… Read moreVenezuela: three unionists murdered
Bolivia’s government said Nov. 30 it is preparing “terrorism” charges against Branko Marinkovic, a leader of the autonomy movement in the country’s four hydrocarbon-rich eastern departments, in connection with a wave of strikes and protests earlier this year in which… Read moreBolivia: terrorism charges for autonomy leader?
Peru’s President Alan GarcĂa Nov. 27 blamed his country’s recent rash of guerilla attacks on Mexico’s drug cartels, saying their inroads have sparked violent turf wars. “Mexican cartels are capturing, or trying to capture, the Peruvian market. This is the… Read morePeru: GarcĂa blames Mexican cartels for Sendero violence
In the prelude to last week’s APEC summit in Lima, the leaders of Canada and Colombia met in the Peruvian capital to sign a free trade agreement. “In a time of global economic instability free trade is more important than… Read moreColombia signs free trade agreement with Canada
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced on live television Nov. 27 that he would not permit “foreign commandos” to be contracted by opposition politicians, in response to rumors that the newly elected governor of Miranda state, Henrique Capriles Radonski, is planning… Read moreVenezuelan opposition contracting Israeli mercenaries?
In a ceremony capping the first visit of a Russian president to Venezuela, Hugo Chávez met with Dmitri Medvedev aboard a Russian warship moored off the port of La Guiara Nov. 27, four days before joint military exercises between the… Read moreMedvedev, Chávez meet on eve of naval maneuvers
