Colombia did not request FARC leader's repatriation: Ambassador

Colombia has not requested the U.S. government to repatriate convicted FARC leader "Simon Trinidad" who the rebels want present at peace talks in Cuba, the U.S. told local media.Newspaper El Espectador reported Saturday that the US and Colombia were in “very advanced” in talks to allow Trinidad to join the negotiation process.However various Colombian media reported Thursday that the U.S. ambassador to Colombia, Michael McKinley, insisted that no request has been sent by Colombia for Trinidad’s reparation.

Trinidad is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence in a maximum security US prison for kidnapping three Americans in Colombia.
The FARC have long demanded that he, along with fellow guerrilla "Sonia," be repatriated.
The U.S. has previously allowed extradited leaders of paramilitary organization AUC to take part in Colombian court cases through video conference, but has never allowed to repatriation of a top rebel or paramilitary leader.
Posted By;Brionna Scott

Venezuelan officials close prison, seize guns

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan prison officials have shut down a prison and seized dozens of weapons after moving inmates to other lockups.

Officials found a total of 56 guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and 12 grenades at the prison in Coro in western Falcon state, Penitentiary Service Minister Iris Varela said on Monday at a news conference. Officials displayed the weapons on a table at the prison, where state television showed officials walking down grimy hallways.

President Hugo Chavez has pledged to improve the prison system following repeated deadly clashes in the country's overcrowded penitentiaries.

Varela has said officials began moving about 600 inmates out of the prison on Oct. 14 as part of a larger government effort transfer prisoners to better facilities. She said on Friday that violence broke out at the prison last week, with two reported killed and 13 injured.

Inmates in Venezuelan prisons often obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards. Varela said on Monday that two prison officials were detained and under investigation.

Stella Lugo, the governor of Falcon state, said on state television that the Coro prison is to be demolished starting Tuesday.

Government officials have pledged to build new prisons to improve conditions and ease crowding. 

Posted By: Eunice

Argentina in diplomatic offensive at U.N. over seized ship

UNITED NATIONS/ACCRA (Reuters) - Argentina's foreign minister launched a diplomatic offensive in New York on Monday, urging top U.N. officials to pressure Ghana to release an Argentine naval training vessel seized after creditors won a court order to keep the ship in port.Foreign Minister Hector Timerman's appearance at U.N. headquarters came as sailors from the detained ship prepared to leave Ghana after spending weeks in dockside limbo, a government official said in Accra.The ARA Libertad, a tall sailing ship with a crew of more than 300, has been detained in Ghana's port of Tema since October 2 on a court order obtained by NML Capital Ltd, which claims Argentina owes it $300 million from defaulted bonds.Timerman has been in New York since last week, when Argentina was elected for a two-year term on the 15-nation U.N. Security Council that begins on January 1, 2013.He met on Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly president Vuk Jeremic and the president of the Security Council, Guatemalan Ambassador Gert Rosenthal. Jeremic's office issued a statement after he met Timerman.Timerman "expressed his grave concern about the situation and reiterated his call to the government of Ghana to desist from its conduct and respect its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," and other international laws, Jeremic's office said."The president (Jeremic) underlined the need for all member states to fully comply with their obligations under international law and conveyed his disposition to assist both parties to reach a solution on the issue," the statement added.Ban's office also issued a statement, saying the U.N. chief "expressed the hope that both governments will find a way to address the matter on a bilateral basis."

El Salvador Congress approves $800 million debt issue

Oct 19 (Reuters) - El Salvador's Congress has approved an $800 million sovereign bond issue to enable the government to pay off early debt the country contracted in 2003.

Congress unanimously approved the planned bond issue late on Thursday to pay back 20-year Eurobond debt issued by the government of ex-president Francisco Flores in 2003.

That debt was issued with a put clause which would enable investors to redeem their bonds in January 2013. Local regulations require the government to be able to show it has the requisite funds to pay off the debt three months ahead of time.

Congress also agreed that if the sum to be redeemed early is less than $400 million, it can use the remainder to pay back short-term floating debt known as LETES.

The poor Central American country has a debt of $13.3 billion, equivalent to roughly 55 percent of gross domestic product, according to official data.

Posted By: Eunice

Guatemala Shooting Raises Concerns About Military’s Expanded Role

POPTÚN, Guatemala — The Guatemala military, once one of the most brutal and feared in Central America, is resurging to take on violent crime, forging closer ties with American troops and law enforcement even as worry over human rights abuses and corruption intensifies.

Those concerns deepened in recent weeks with the revelation of ties between former soldiers and drug gangs, and the fatal shooting of several indigenous demonstrators by soldiers on patrol with the police, an event critics of the militarized approach to policing seized on as an example of what can go wrong.

Allegations of corruption and killings by the military have also raised questions about the partnership with the American antidrug program here, just as the United States is reassessing its collaboration with security forces in neighboring Honduras after their role in several deadly episodes there.

“The army should take care of security of the country against attacks from a foreign power and never for citizen security,” said Francisco Dall’Anese, the former Costa Rica attorney general who now heads a United Nations commission investigating crime and corruption in Guatemala. He added, “When the military intervenes in conflicts of a civil nature, danger is increased without reaching solutions.”

Acura, BMW and Cadillac eye Brazil's luxury car market and the economy picking up

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Japan's Honda Motor Co said on Monday it plans to sell its Acura brand in Brazil beginning in 2015, making it the latest carmaker to aim its luxury vehicle range at the country's buoyant high-end consumer market.

Chief Executive Takanobu Ito announced the arrival of Acura at the Sao Paulo auto show, where Honda was not the only company eyeing a luxury car market that has grown nearly sevenfold in five years.

"The rich are becoming richer in Brazil," General Motors Co's South American chief Jaime Ardila told reporters at the show. "It's time to start thinking about bringing Cadillac to Brazil."

Rising wages, especially for scarce highly skilled professionals, have made Brazil a bright spot in the global market for luxury goods. But both Honda and GM said luxury car sales in Brazil are still too slim to consider making it a base for producing their up-market offerings.

German automaker BMW AG , on the other hand, has decided to take the plunge with an investment of 200 million euros ($261 million) in a Brazilian factory announced on Monday after top executives met with President Dilma Rousseff.

Venezuela/Paraguay rift spoils Brazil’s plans for a ‘normal’ Mercosur summit

According to reliable diplomatic sources Brazilian diplomacy was working to have the temporary suspension of Paraguay, and the ongoing controversy, neatly planned for a non traumatic full return and reconciliation at December’s summit.

In June during the last summit hosted by Argentina, Mercosur members decided to suspend Paraguay following the removal of Fernando Lugo from the Executive as a consequence of political impeachment in the Paraguayan Senate. The defence process of Lugo during impeachment was questioned by the neighbouring countries but also exposed the absence of political support of the removed president who was replaced by Federico Franco.

The suspension was until April 2013 when Paraguay is scheduled to hold presidential elections, which according to Mercosur would mark the return to democratic order.

Bolivia tests market with $500m bond issue

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It took a while – over ninety years since the last one and almost nine months since it was first announced. But Bolivia finally took the plunge into the global credit market on Monday, with the launch of a $500m bond issue.

The 10-year dollar-issue, Bolivia’s first overseas offering since the 1920s, was priced at a 4.875 per cent yield, according to IFR.

Marcelo Urdininea, head of asset management at Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz in La Paz, said he expected demand for the bonds to outstrip supply by at least $250m.

“Bolivia’s numbers are solid, so there is a good expectation in the market for this paper,” he told beyondbrics.

That view was echoed by Bolivia’s leftist finance minister, Luis Arce, who told beyondbrics in late August: “We are sure we are going to do well in the markets, we have enough backing to welcome foreign investment. We want to position the country, there are several reasons why Bolivia should be in the international financial markets.”

Two more Germans held over Dominican Republic 'sect' shootout

 The Dominican Republic authorities have arrested two more German suspected doomsday cult members over a deadly shootout earlier this week.

Daniel Brunck and Isabella Dietrich were ordered by a judge to stay in preventative detention while a police investigation continued.

They joined Peter Brunck, Daniel's father, who had been held earlier.

Peter Demetrick, also a German citizen, was killed in the shootout in the northern town of Sosua on Wednesday.

Police later seized rifles, grenades and crossbows in the exclusive neighbourhood in the seaside town popular with German immigrants.

Haiti - Diaspora : «We need Haitian solutions to Haitian problems

Hundreds of members of the Haitian diaspora from the United States, Latin America and Europe gathered in Washington, DC, at headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS), from 18 to 20 October 2012 for the "2012 Global Haitian Diaspora Congress".

The Congress, which took place under the theme "Unity for Results In and Out of Haiti", was addressed by representatives of the government of Haiti through Daniel Supplice, Minister of the Haitians Living Abroad, the Senator Simon Desras, President of the Senate, Mrs. Michaelle Jean, and the Special Envoy of UNESCO for Haiti, representatives of diplomatic missions and several others personnalités.

Petronas rejection may hurt Canadian stocks

CALGARY/TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian markets could face a bloody opening on Monday after the government blocked the C$5.17 billion ($5.22 billion) acquisition of Progress Energy Resources Corp (PRQ.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) by Malaysian state oil company Petronas PETR.UL, raising questions about other, bigger bids and about Canada's willingness to let foreign investors in.
Canadian Industry Minister Christian Paradis said late Friday night that Petronas' bid for Progress -- one of the largest owners of exploration lands in the gas-rich Montney shale region in northeastern British Columbia -- would not provide the "net benefit" for the country required by Canada's foreign investment laws.
Investors had expected a favorable decision on the bid by the minister, especially given Petronas' pledge to help spur Canada's nascent liquefied natural gas export industry by building an LNG export facility on the country's Pacific coast.
But Paradis' veto also raises doubts over the outcome of Chinese oil group CNOOC's (0883.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) C$15.1 billion offer for oil producer Nexen (NXY.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and is expected to weigh on other Canadian firms hoping to tap the foreign investment needed to harvest their vast energy reserves and the mood among investors is somber.
"We're going to see sell-offs all around and gore on the floor for Progress and Nexen," said Chris Damas, an independent analyst with BCMI Research.
Still, the ruling Conservatives say the refusal is not an issue. Petronas and Progress have 30 days from last Friday to convince the Canadian government to reconsider the decision. Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed on Sunday that the government is willing to negotiate.
"I'm not involved in those discussions directly. The minister of industry is," Flaherty said in an interview on CTV's "Question Period". "I'm sure they'll continue to work on it. There's another period of time during which they can continue to have discussions and try to satisfy the concerns that the Department of Industry has."

Cuba’s historic decision to end travel restrictions could ease strains from economic overhaul

HAVANA — Cuba seems to be betting that its decision to allow most of its citizens to travel abroad freely will be as good for its economy as it is for its public relations.

The announcement comes as the communist island nation carries out a cautious, limited free market experiment to reform Cuba’s inefficient economy, which includes a plan to fire 1 million state workers and allow more entrepreneurship.

Cuba’s leaders seem confident that lifting exit visa requirements will not produce an embarrassing exodus. Instead, experts say, a controlled migration might ease the pain of its economic overhaul by providing an outlet for the anticipated surge in unemployed workers and an investment in human capital if Cubans return home with experience in market economies.

Foes of Panama’s plan to sell land in duty-free zone protest again in Colon, but no violence

PANAMA CITY — Hundreds of people opposed to Panama selling state-owned land in a duty-free zone on the Panama Canal have marched through the city of Colon a day after a violent protest resulted in a death and several injuries.

No violence has been reported Saturday in the Caribbean port city.

Heavily armed police are patrolling in response to a protest Friday that saw people burning tires, barricading streets and throwing things at police. Officers used tear gas and fired shots in the air to disperse the rioters.

Authorities say a 10-year-old died from a gunshot but the source of the bullet is under investigation.

Costa Rica to Reform Public Transportation to Achieve Carbon Neutrality 2021

Costa Rica’s government will prioritize the conversion of public transport to cleaner energy as part of efforts to become the first country in the world to achieve carbon neutrality by 2021.

The Minister of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, René Castro, said today in a press conference that the main emitter of carbon dioxide is the transport sector, especially the public (buses and taxis).

He added that the conversion to clean energy sector will begin next year through a series of actions such as tax and credit facilities to transport entrepreneurs who want to change or convert their vehicles to run, for example, natural gas or electricity.

Castro said that cleaner energy sources than fossil fuels are more profitable for the user, so the government is negotiating with countries producing vehicles using those energies to obtain better prices in exchange for eliminating or reducing income taxes the country.

Arab World imports from Brazil exceed $6.6 billion: report

The Arab World’s imports from Brazil have reached over $6.6 billion between January to August, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce said in a report.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE emerged as the top importers in the region, Arabian Business news website published information from the report on Sunday.

In Saudi Arabia, the imports reached over $1.5 billion during the period, while the UAE’s imports were valued at over $930 million, it added.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian market’s food imports from Brazil increased by 28 percent recording the largest jump to reach $1.2 billion in comparison to the same period last year.

While cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose are Brazil’s top export products to Arab countries with a combined value of nearly $2.5 billion, meat accounted for the biggest increase in Brazilian exports valued at over $554 million, up by nearly 45 percent from the same period in 2011.

“With Brazilian food companies strongly adhering to halal standards and other quality regulations being adopted in key markets across the region, we expect export volumes to continue to rise and serve as a rallying point for long-term trade and economic cooperation,” Director-General of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, said.

“We will therefore continue to explore more innovative ways to cultivate a stronger alliance among Brazilian exporters and their counterparts in the MENA region,” he added.

Posted By: Shawn Huyck

Paraguay Diplomats Ordered to Leave Venezuela

Venezuela's government expelling the last of Paraguay's diplomats in Caracas, envoy says

The Associated Press

Venezuela's government has decided to expel Paraguay's remaining diplomats from the country, the top envoy at the Paraguayan Embassy said Wednesday.

Charge d'affaires Victor Casartelli said that he and three other Paraguayan diplomats in Caracas were told by Venezuela's Foreign Ministry to leave within three days.

Venezuelan government officials did not respond to calls seeking comment about the matter. Casartelli said that he received a call Tuesday from the Foreign Ministry informing him of the decision and that he met Wednesday with Venezuelan officials who confirmed that the four should go.

Chile approves extradition request for ex-US officer in 2 killings, including journalist

SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile’s Supreme Court has approved an extradition request for a former U.S. military officer wanted in the 1973 killings of two Americans, including one whose disappearance was the focus of the movie “Missing,” a lawyer said Wednesday.

Former U.S. Navy Capt. Ray E. Davis was charged last year in the deaths of journalist Charles Horman and student Frank Teruggi, who were killed during the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

Attorney Sergio Corvalan, who represents Horman’s widow, told The Associated Press that the Supreme Court approved by a 4-1 vote a request by judge Jorge Zepeda to seek Davis’ extradition to face trial in Chile.

A court official, who agreed to discuss the case only if not quoted by name, said the vote would be formally announced Thursday.

Peru currency set to gain in 2013, defying central bank

Big mining investments and extra US monetary stimulus are set to extend a rise in Peru's currency that has already taken the sol to a 16-year high despite sweeping official efforts. Peru's central bank, which has bought a record $11.6 billion this year in interventions on the spot market, faces a dilemma because it has a limited number of tools to avert sharp currency swings in the partially dollarised economy, and the finance ministry has ruled out using capital controls that would limit the sol's advances.

That basically leaves the central bank the option of buying even more dollars on the spot market, allowing pension funds to put more money overseas to boost demand for dollars, or raising reserve requirements for bank deposits or loans. These tools have been employed in varying doses over the last few years. But they have only slowed the pace of appreciation, not stopped it, and the chief of the central bank says the sol might retreat only several years from now.

Though many Latin American countries face appreciation pressures that hurt export competitiveness, Peru's central bank has a more difficult job than most of its peers. That's because more than 40 percent of all bank deposits in Peru are denominated in dollars and loans denominated in dollars are widely available. Right now, with the sol gaining, some Peruvian consumers are rushing into loans in dollars - betting their monthly payments will fall over time in domestic currency terms. 

Land dispute ruffles palm fronds on Mexico's Isla Holbox

Developers seek to build a high-end resort after longtime residents — who say they were cheated — sell their rights to communal lands known as ejidos.

ISLA HOLBOX, Mexico — Separated from the Yucatan Peninsula by a lagoon, this pristine island has streets of sand, iguanas that roam among humans, and a police presence best described as casual. In the tiny town on its western tip, golf carts are the primary mode of transportation.

"It's like out of movie, isn't it?" said a chuckling Ramon Chan, a 41-year-old vendor who on a recent day was hacking away at fresh coconuts from a cart on the beach.

In recent years, however, Isla Holbox (pronounced "holl-bosch") has sat at the center of a complex legal dispute pitting powerful developers seeking to build a high-end resort against a group of longtime residents who say they were cheated out of their rights as holders of revolutionary-era communal lands, known as ejidos.

The fight illuminates the growing practice of transferring communal ejidos — which make up slightly more than half of the national territory — to private hands, a practice that was authorized in 1992 but remains a legal twilight zone.

In separate cases, nine islanders allege that Peninsula Maya Developments offered to buy their individualized ejido parcels in a 2008 deal to which they agreed. But in the process, the ejidatarios allege, the developers also persuaded them to unwittingly sell their permanent, constitutionally guarded titles to the Holbox ejido at large.

Because Mexico's agrarian law refers to "inalienable" titles to ejidos, the islanders are asking courts to nullify the dual sale of their parcels and titles.

In response, the company said the sales were legal and clear and suggested in a statement that the ejidatarios are trying to shake them down for more money than the original price of about $388,000.

The developers contend that the ejidatarios are challenging the deal through loopholes in the ejido laws, which established strict codes meant to protect the rural peasant class from abuse by private interests. The suits over the $3.2-billion development plan are working their way through Mexico's agrarian tribunals, with one awaiting a hearing before the Supreme Court.

In the meantime, the island simmers with discord, and the eastern end, where La Ensenada resort would be built, remains untouched.

Roman Avila, a 60-year-old former fisherman and Holbox ejidatario, said operators working for the development wooed islanders with gifts and promises of fortunes for all if they signed over their ejido titles to the Trust for the Promotion and Sustainable Development of Isla Holbox, which the developers established.

They also told the ejidatarios, he said, that they would ensure any project they constructed would be environmentally sound, a welcome message after Isla Holbox suffered heavy damage in the hurricane season of 2005.

The islanders didn't know precisely what they were signing, he said.

"Look, this is not an excuse, but when Hurricane Wilma hit here, we were left with no money, and these people came who wanted our lands, and, well, they offered us money," Avila said. "And we naively fell."

The problem, developers complain, is that whenever an ejidatario feels like invoking his or her constitutionally mandated rights, no matter what a contract might say, he or she can challenge a deal.

Fernando Ponce, lead investor in the Holbox development plan and chief of the Coca-Cola distribution company Bepensa, declined requests for an interview.

Officials seek motive in U.S.-Canada border shooting

7:56PM EDT October 17. 2012 - SEATTLE (AP) — A Canadian border guard shot in her booth at a busy U.S.-Canada crossing north of Seattle remained hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday as investigators worked to determine the identity and motive of the man who wounded her and committed suicide.
The suspect, driving a white van with Washington license plates, shot Officer Lori Bowcock in the neck at 2 p.m. Tuesday as he was entering Canada at the Peace Arch crossing at Blaine. He then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, investigators said.
Officers soon swarmed the scene, closing the crossing as they interviewed witnesses and searched for clues. Investigators blocked off the area around Bowcock's booth with yellow crime-scene tape and examined the suspect's van, which sat with its back doors open revealing a mattress inside.
Canadian officials estimated they would reopen the crossing Wednesday afternoon.
The British Columbia homicide investigation team handling the probe was treating the case as an attempted murder. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations were assisting by following leads on the U.S. side of the border, said Andrew Munoz, spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He declined to elaborate.
The border crossing about 100 miles north of Seattle is the third-busiest between the U.S. and Canada. Last month, it averaged 9,000 U.S.-bound cars a day, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Loonie falls more than half a cent after Bank of Canada speech in B.C

TORONTO - The Canadian dollar was more than half a cent lower near midday Tuesday, dropping to its lowest value against the U.S. dollar in nearly two weeks.

The loonie was down 0.51 of a cent at 101.51, but off its lows for the day when it was down 0.83 cents.
The drop takes the loonie to its lowest level since Oct. 4, when it began to strengthen against the U.S. dollar.
Some currency watchers attributed the loonie's latest weakness to a speech Monday by Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney that was notable for what he didn't say and interpreted as a more dovish tone toward the possibility of interest rate increases.
Carney did not include in his speech an often-repeated line that "modest withdrawal of the present considerable monetary policy stimulus may become appropriate."
The central bank's pronouncements are closely watched by economists as a signal of changes in interest rate policies, which can affect the value of currency rates.
"Accordingly, in line with our expectations, it is likely that the BoC adopts a more neutral stance at its upcoming meeting," wrote Scotiabank chief currency strategist Camilla Sutton in a note.
"The domestic impact is being felt on exports, capital expenditures and employment, but since Canada is viewed as an attractive investment destination capital inflows are pushing up the value of the Canadian dollar," she added.

Venezuela's Chavez names Maduro vice-president

         Maduro, 49, replaces Elias Jaua, who will run for the governorship of Miranda state against defeated presidential candidate Henrique Capriles in the South American OPEC member's December gubernatorial elections.
An ex-union leader on the public bus service and foreign minister since 2006, Maduro has long been seen as a possible successor to Chavez along with several other senior allies.
He was frequently at his side in the most critical moments of Chavez's year of cancer treatment since mid-2011.

The possibility of a recurrence of the disease hangs over Chavez despite a surprisingly vigorous campaign before his convincing 11-point win on Sunday.

Should Chavez's cancer reappear and force him out of office within the first four years of his six-year term, the vice president would serve temporarily as president before a new election. If Chavez left office in the final two years, the vice president would serve out the rest of the term. Chavez, 58, has ruled Venezuela since 1999.
"I don't recommend anyone for the vice president's job," Chavez joked, naming Maduro during the formal proclamation of his presidential win by Venezuela's election board.
"Putting up with me is not easy!"

Economists Cut 2013 Brazil Inflation Forecast for 2nd Week

Analysts covering Brazil’s economy trimmed their 2013 inflation forecast for the second straight week amid expectations that tax cuts will slow the pace of price increases in the world’s second largest emerging market.

Consumer prices will rise 5.44 percent next year, according to the median estimate in a central bank survey of about 100 analysts published today. Analysts had forecast inflation of 5.48 percent the previous week.

President Dilma Rousseff’s government is working to revive the economy, which analysts forecast will expand this year at the slowest pace among major emerging markets. Since August 2011, policy makers have reduced the benchmark Selic rate 500 basis points to a record 7.5 percent, extended tax cuts for consumers and pressured banks to lower lending costs. Traders are betting on an additional 25 point rate cut this week.

As the stimulus measures have taken effect, inflation has accelerated, spurred by droughts that have driven up the cost of food. Inflation quickened in September for the third straight month, to 5.28 percent. Waning food-price increases and the effects of tax breaks will curb inflation next year, according to Enestor Dos Santos, senior economist for Brazil at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA. (BBVA)

“If we look toward 2013, the market is reducing its expectations,” he said in a telephone interview from Madrid. “This adjustment is related to electricity tax cuts. Economists are also taking into account the price shocks.”

Santo Mining Corp Acquires 42.75 Square Kilometer Property in the Heart of Dominican Republic Mining Country

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Oct. 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Santo Mining Corporation(OTCBB:SANP), (the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has acquired 100% of Gexplo SRL's rights to the Shalee gold exploration claim in the Dominican Republic.

This highly prospective 42.75 square kilometer claim is within the famed Hispaniola Gold-Copper Back-Arc, and surrounded on all quadrants by numerous historical mine works and new gold discoveries. The most famous among them is the world-class Barrick Gold Pueblo Viejo gold mine, located to the southeast with 25.3 million ounces of gold and 147 million ounces of silver. Other significant mining concerns in the vicinity include Perilya Gold's Cerro de Maimón gold mine, also to the southeast; Falcondo Xstrata's massive nickel complex to the east; and Goldquest to the south.

Santo Mining President Alain French has spent several months exploring in the adjacent area and has previously discovered several gold, silver and copper showings. "As with our other acquisitions, Shalee represents excellent potential for exploration," said French. "I am confident the exploration team may identify gold, other precious metal and base metal deposits in this mineral-rich territory."

Food Fight in Haiti as NGOs Go Nuts Over Peanut Butter Drive

St. Louis-based Meds and Food For Kids, or MFK, has an ambitious plan to combat child malnutrition in Haiti. With one in five children underweight mostly because of the country’s rampant poverty,Haiti’s young continue to suffer while the country’s brain drain continues and literacy hovers at 50 percent. To that end, MFK has found a great solution for Haiti’s social ills: use local labor and resources to make a nutrition-rich peanut butter that will feed kids, create jobs and increase Haiti’s self-sufficiency.

There is one catch, however: Partners in Health (PIH), a larger and more established NGO, has a similar plan to build a peanut butter factory that promises to feed kids and create jobs.

PIH has a long track record within Haiti in the struggle against child malnutrition, especially in the country’s impoverished Central Plateau. For a decade, the organization has worked with farmers in improving agricultural practices, and in 2006, began the treatment of malnourished children with nourimanba, an enriched peanut butter product. The ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), which is peanut butter mixed with dried milk and vitamins, is effective in areas beset by famine or severe poverty because aid workers and families can store it for months, it is easy to eat and has a low water content. This year, thanks to Abbott Laboratories’ $6.5 million grant, PIH will soon open a new factory that will source peanuts from 200 local farmers. According to Abbott’s CSR site, the collaboration will increase demand for local crops and create more local jobs.

Cuba's Stake in the Chávez Presidency

All eyes were on the Venezuelan presidential election Sunday on the off chance that incumbent Hugo Chávez might be forced to accept defeat. But few could have been watching more intently than the elite of the Cuban military dictatorship, who in recent years have become heavily dependent on virtually free Venezuelan oil, courtesy of Mr. Chávez, for its survival.

The day went relatively smoothly despite a heavy turnout that the Chávez-controlled National Electoral Council seemed ill-prepared to handle. Some voters claimed to have waited six hours in line but there was no violence.

Anti-Abortion Activists Protest in Panama City

Panama City- Drivers in Panama City got quite the eyeful Sunday passing through 23rd Street. Hundreds of sign-yielding silent protestors lined the sidewalks boasting a clear message against abortion.

"In my opinion it's murder," said activist Danielle Gagnon.

Called "Respect Life Sunday," the display was a part of the National Life Chain Event. Orgainzers said more than 200 such deomstrations took place across Florida alone.

"I'm here to just pray and show people that we choose life obviously," said activist Katie Florian.

"Explain your emotion," said NewsChannel 7's Bryan Anderson.

"Well there's so many couples out there that would love to have a child of their own and they can't," answered activist Sarah Hutchison.

Costa Rica to invest $34 million to expand Caldera port

CALDERA, PUNTARENAS – October 8^th, 2012 – Costa Rica will build a new loading dock for cargo ships at the Caldera Port, in the Pacific. The expansion will cost approximately $34 million, and will increase the port’s operating capacity by 135%.

The construction will begin in about 2 months, and take approximately two years to complete.  This will be the port’s fourth loading dock.

The construction phase is expected to generate about 200 jobs, and once construction is finished, the facility is expected to employ 150 people for its operation.

Honduras Commission Seeks Justice in Coup

 

A truth commission formed by human rights organizations called on President Porfirio Lobo's government on Wednesday to annul a 2010 amnesty law and fire Honduran officials responsible for the coup that overthrew his predecessor, Manuel Zelaya.

The report issued by the non-governmental commission also calls on Lobo's administration to pay unspecified reparations to Zelaya supporters who were victims of the 2009 coup. The commission was formed by local rights groups with the support of international organizations.

The report says military and civilian officials involved in the coup should lose their jobs, and that people who fled Honduras because they were persecuted during that period should be allowed to return home.

The report alleges that rights violations have continued since the coup, including the formation of groups resembling death squads.

There was no immediate response to the report from Lobo's government.

Canada says India slow to invest in Alberta oil sands

OTTAWA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Indian companies are lagging behind when it comes to investing in Canada's giant oil sands but could well start making deals within the next five years, Canadian Energy Minister Joe Oliver says.
Oliver, speaking to Reuters before a visit to Delhi and Mumbai, said Canadian energy industry needs C$650 billion ($663 billion) in investment over the next decade. Ottawa concedes much of it will have to come from abroad.
To some political consternation in Canada, China is rapidly buying up assets in the tar sands of northern Alberta, one of the world's biggest crude oil deposits. But India - the world's fourth largest oil importer - has yet to conclude a deal.
"I think they realize ... they are certainly behind others, and they acknowledge that," Oliver said.
"They are looking to Canada now with increasing interest. I can't predict what precisely they'll do, but I'd certainly be surprised that if in five years from now the picture didn't look quite a bit different."
Last month sources said a trio of state-run Indian oil companies had bid $5 billion for stakes in Canadian oil sands holdings owned by ConocoPhillips.
The bid from the group, which comprises producers Oil and Natural Gas Corp and Oil India Ltd with refiner and retailer Indian Oil Corp, is the first by Indian energy companies for assets in Canada.
Canada is now deciding whether to approve a $15.1 billion bid by Chinese state-owned CNOOC Ltd for oil producer Nexen Inc, which is active in the oil sands.
Some in Canada's governing Conservative Party are uneasy about allowing a Chinese state-owned enterprise to buy such assets.
Indian state companies are partly owned by an elected government in what is the world's most populous democracy, and this could help reduce Canadian hesitation about future deals.

Peru's gas pipeline at risk after rebels destroy helicopters

* Pipeline maintenance activities suspended in hot zone

* Sole pipeline crucial to national energy security

* Shining Path kidnapped natural gas workers in April

LIMA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Peru's sole natural gas pipeline was left without maintenance services on Saturday after Shining Path rebels destroyed on the ground three helicopters belonging to the company that runs the pipeline.

The aircraft were used by the company Transportadora de Gas del Peru, or TGP, to dispatch maintenance workers along the pipeline in the country's southern jungles.

"This most recent incident, on top of causing the total suspension of maintenance activities in the conflict zone, makes it impossible for us to respond to any emergency situation or incident that could affect transport," TGP said in a statement.

"We trust that the state will provide the resources and take the steps necessary to reestablish security in the area," it said.

The Shining Path, or Sendero Luminoso in Spanish, started a war to overthrow the state in 1980, and some 70,000 people were killed in the conflict.

The rebels, now too weak to pose a strategic threat to the government, went into the cocaine-trafficking business after the founders of the group were arrested in the early 1990s. The southeastern valleys where they operate contain natural gas reserves and pipelines central to the country's energy security.

The guerrilla group captured 36 natural gas workers in April, later saying they had taken and released the hostages.

Posted By: Shawn Huyck 

Brazil local elections push women to the fore

Brazilian voters head to the polls on Sunday to elect councillors and mayors in more than 5,500 towns and cities. This year a law was passed requiring parties to ensure 30% of their overall candidates are women but the political battle for female politicians is far from over.

When Regina Ramos da Silva decided to run for mayor in the town of Joaquim Pires, she was surprised to find her opponent was another woman.

"After I announced my candidacy, the opposition party also chose a woman," says Ms Ramos, 43, who belongs to Brazil's Workers' Party (PT).

"I guess it is because having a female mayor is something unprecedented. And everyone likes something new."

Joaquim Pires, with a population of some 13,000, is typical of many small towns in Brazil's north-east, with cobbled streets, and small shops and a church on its main square.

The problems that the new mayor will have to face include high unemployment among young people, which has prompted many to leave the area.

Others in the community rely on state welfare programmes such as the Bolsa Familia or Family Grant to supplement low incomes.

Uruguay Signs $1.65 Billion in Offshore Oil-Exploration Deals

BUENOS AIRES--Uruguay's government on Friday signed offshore exploration deals with four oil and gas companies that have committed to invest $1.65 billion over the next three years.

The companies include the U.K.'s BP and BG Group PLC, France's Total SA, and Ireland's Tullow Oil PLC. They will join Uruguay's state-owned energy company, Ancap, to explore in eight offshore blocks, according to a statement on the Uruguay president's website.

The blocks are located in waters that range from 500 meters to 2,500 meters deep. BP and BG will each explore three blocks, while Total will explore one and Tullow another.

"This is the most significant event in the search for energy resources in recent years," Industry, Energy and Mining Minister Roberto Kreimerman said in the statement.

Mr. Kreimerman said the projects aim to diversify Uruguay's energy matrix.

"We have the chance for a country that is not an oil producer to have new wealth through this exploratory work, which will be done over the next three years, as well as the exploitation that follows," he said.

Mr. Kreimerman expects the drilling work to begin in mid-2013. He also said that by 2015 half of Uruguay's energy matrix will come from renewable energy. 

Posted By: Shawn Huyck 

U.S., Peru Boost Military Ties To Fight Terrorism, Drugs

LIMA — The United States and Peru are boosting their military ties as they work to step up joint counternarcotics and counterterrorism efforts, the country’s defense chiefs said Oct. 6.

“The United States is part of the family of the Americas and we face some common challenges, we face the challenge of terrorism, of drug-trafficking,” U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said after meeting with President Ollanta Humala and his counterpart, Pedro Cateriano.

Cateriano echoed Panetta’s remarks, adding that Lima and Washington would update their bilateral defense cooperation accord dating back to 1952.

“Our country will do whatever it can to work with our friends here in Peru to provide whatever assistance is necessary in order to make sure that Peru can provide better security and prosperity for this country and can help provide for the security and prosperity of this region,” Panetta said, saluting “strategic partner” Lima.

Peru — where drug traffickers work in concert with Shining Path guerrillas — became the world’s prime producer of cocaine last year ahead of Colombia, according to estimates by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Belize ranked 4th happiest country in the world?

There’s some good news that will make you smile. In April of this year, Belize was ranked at number thirty-four of one hundred and fifty-six countries on the first ever United Nations World Happiness Report. That report was released exactly six months ago and we don’t know what drastic changes may have occurred in that time, but in another study released today Belize is ranked as the fourth happiest country in the world. The Happy Planet Index includes one hundred and fifty-one countries and looks at experienced well-being, life expectancy and the ecological footprint of a country’s residents. Of the top ten countries, seven are from either Central America or the Caribbean. Costa Rica is named happiest country in the world, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Belize, El Salvador, Jamaica, Panama, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Guatemala is number ten. Believe it or not, the US is ranked at one hundred and five while Denmark which was number one on the UN list is at one hundred and ten. It makes you wonder what factors make the rankings so different. Well, while the UN surveyed residents, asking them to rate their level of satisfaction, the happy planet index focuses on sustainable well being. Here’s an explanation from the creator of the Happy Planet Index, Nic Marks of the London-based New Economics Foundation. 

Renegotiating Nationalization in Bolivia Colquiri Mine

     Rival mineworker factions have signed an agreement with the Bolivian government to end a violent dispute at the Colquiri tin mine, Bolivia’s second largest, which has rocked the country for months. The conflict offers a window into the complexity of Bolivia’s mining sector, and the challenges faced by the government as it seeks to balance the contradictory expectations of different constituencies in reasserting popular control over Bolivia’s mineral wealth.

Mr Mario Virreira mining minister of Bolivia said that “What’s happening now is an example of the contradictions and difficulties that we face after nationalization. The conflict at Colquiri centers around competing demands for control of the site’s most lucrative minefields by salaried, unionized mineworkers and independent, cooperative miners, each having long standing historical claims to the site.”

Argentina's Stocks Down in Light Trading; GDP Warrants Slide

      BUENOS AIRES--Argentine stocks slipped Wednesday in very light trading while securities tied to economic growth, or GDP warrants, lost ground amid concerns about the economy.
The Merval fell 0.36% to 2455.81 in volume totaling ARS18.9 million ($4 million).
The only significantly traded shares were those of the steel producer Tenaris (TS, TEN.MI), which fell 1.38% to ARS131.45.
Petrobras Argentina SA (PESA.BA, PZE), the local unit of Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PBR), or Petrobras, fell 3.7% to ARS2.85, leading the declines.

The financial conglomerate Grupo Financiero Galicia SA (GGAL.BA, GGAL) led the gains, rising 1.4% to ARS3.58.

The TVPP GDP warrant fell 0.89% to ARS14.95. The TVPY warrant fell 1.22% to close at ARS80.75.
Some investors have been concerned the economy will not grow enough this year to trigger a payout on GDP warrants next year.
Though the government's 2013 budget estimates 2012 growth at 3.4%, many economists say growth will end up being notably less. The economy has to expand by at least 3.26% this year to trigger the payment on GDP warrants next year.
Meanwhile, soybean prices have been falling, raising additional concern that tax collection and related economic activity could be weaker than previously expected next year.

Experts say Suriname hydro project will not be effective

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – By the time the Tapajai hydro energy project is completed the energy demand in Suriname will be much higher, experts tell de Ware Tijd. ‘At the pace at which developments involving this project take place, it will take years before Tapajai becomes operational and in the meantime the demand will keep growing,’ says energy consultant Viren Ajodhia. ‘Tapajai will be a temporary solution to the increasing demand for energy.’
Ajodhia is surprised the project has not taken off yet. ‘Hydro energy is cheap, but the longer you wait the more expensive it becomes. In the meantime you have to generate energy by using very expensive diesel.’ The expert points out that Tapajai and a number of additional hydro energy projects in West Suriname had to be operational by now to meet the growing demand. Hydro energy expert Lothar Boksteen, who has been involved in the project from the start, confirms Ajodhia’s conclusions. ‘Tapajai’ is an abbreviation for Tapanahoni River and Jaikreek. The project aims at increasing the water level in the Brokopondo reservoir by channeling the Tapanahoni River through the Jaikreek towards the reservoir. A higher water level would mean better utilization of the Afobakka generating potential.
In the second phase, additional generating facilities along the river could utilize the increased flow of water to generate electricity. However, this would mean that the village Palumeu would have to be evacuated. The Tapajai project will yield an additional 60 megawatt. Staatsolie now waits for permission to start the environmental and technical impact study, which will take 2.5 years. The company will need the cooperation of the entire local population, but so far nothing concrete has been promised.

Deep 7.1 Quake Rattles Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia — A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake centered nearly 100 miles underground rattled southwestern Colombia on Sunday but no damage or injuries were reported.

The quake struck at 11:31 a.m. local time 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the regional capital of Popayan and was felt in Bogota as well as 10 of Colombia's 32 states. The U.S. Geological Survey said its epicenter was 94 miles (150 kilometers) beneath the earth's surface.
The quake was the most powerful to hit Colombia since a 7.2-magnitude temblor shook the same region in 2004, said Patricia Pedraza of Colombia's geological service.
Security chief Edith Cabeza of Cauca state, of which Popayan is the capital, said the "white city" of 270,000 inhabitants suffered no damage.
Popayan's historical center was largely reconstructed after a March 1983 quake that killed at least 250 people.

Nicaragua: Central Bank says economy up 30 percent under Sandinistas

Managua, Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s economy has grown 30 percent since the Sandinistas returned to power in 2006, according to new numbers published this week by the Nicaraguan Central Bank.

Though Nicaragua’s economy remains the smallest in Central America, it is making up ground on its neighbors thanks to the government’s economic policies and social programs, according to Central Bank President Alberto Guevara.

“The model of economic and social development promoted by Comandante Daniel Ortega Saavedra is working and has the powerful virtue of incorporating people and their own economic initiatives,” Mr. Guevara said.

According to Central Bank, Nicaragua’s Gross Domestic Product (GPD) per capita has grown from $1,239 to $1,582 just in the past year. While that is a notable improvement, it’s not enough to move Nicaragua out of last place in Central America.

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Indeed, even with that growth, Nicaragua’s average GDP per capita is still less than half of the Central American average and only about one-sixth of Costa Rica’s GDP per capita ($8,876), according to International Monetary Fund estimates.

Insufficient growth

Independent economist Néstor Avendaño says Nicaragua’s estimated 4.1 percent economic expansion projected for this year is still insufficient to reduce poverty.
“Nicaragua is growing at a good rate, but it is insufficient because we are still very far from the 8 percent or 9 percent growth we need to really start to reduce poverty in Nicaragua,” the economist says.
Mr. Avendaño says economic growth under the Sandinista government has been based mostly on private investment and exports, which have doubled just in the past three years. But 2013 could be a belt-tightening year, he warns.
Avendaño says Nicaragua’s economy next year will most likely experience decelerated growth (around 3.1 percent) and accelerated inflation, due to pending tax reforms that are scheduled to happen in the first quarter of 2013.
“I don’t see any possibilities of us getting above 4 percent growth next year,” the economist says.