Cowabunga! Peruvian hits waves with surfing alpaca (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Peruvian surfer Domingo Pianezzi has spent a decade training dogs to ride the nose of his board when he catches waves, and now he is the first to do so with an alpaca.
Q&A: Wanted in Latin America: Responsible Credit
SANTIAGO, Mar 15 (IPS) – Improving access to financial services and achieving "responsible credit" require ongoing dialogue on the part of companies, states and consumers, Juan Trímboli, regional coordinator of the Consumers International office in Latin America and the Caribbean, told IPS.
New Colombian party linked to right-wing gangs (AP via Yahoo! News)
A new party accused of ties to far-right criminal bands has emerged as a surprising force in Colombian politics, adding to worries that President Alvaro Uribe has failed to weaken drug-funded paramilitaries in the provinces.
RIGHTS-CUBA: Hunger Striker Refuses to Go into Exile
HAVANA, Mar 8 (IPS) – The state news media in Cuba reported Monday on the case of dissident Guillermo Fariñas, who has been on a hunger strike for 13 days and refuses to go into exile in Spain.
PERU: Suspension of Mining Operation Merely a Placebo
LIMA, Mar 9 (IPS) – Although the Peruvian government reported that it had suspended the exploration activities of the Afrodita mining company in the country’s northern Amazon jungle region to avoid further protests by local indigenous people, officials took no actual steps to bring the firm’s work to a halt.
Tim Vickery: Colombia’s potential bid to host World Cup a long shot (Sports Illustrated)
Brazilian midfielder Mauro Silva checked in his luggage to travel to to Colombia for the 2001 Copa America, and then had second thoughts. Scared by the country’s reputation, he decided not to go. I remember feeling a similar trepidation at exactly the same time when I boarded the plane in Rio to fly up and cover the tournament. What on earth was I letting myself in for?
Comedian’s run getting no laughs from Peru politicians (AFP via Yahoo! News)
A popular comedian’s potential 2011 presidential run is getting no laughs at all from more “serious” Peruvian politicians, worried about his rise in the polls.
Colombia’s Carvajal to Sell as Much as $211 Million of Bonds (Bloomberg)
March 16 (Bloomberg) — Organizacion Carvajal SA , the Colombian holding company that owns makers of paper supplies and a book publisher, plans to sell as much as 400 billion pesos ($211 million) of bonds tomorrow.
EDUCATION-URUGUAY: Gardens of Knowledge
MONTEVIDEO, Mar 10 (IPS) – “Nature is wise, and if we take the time to observe it, we can learn so much” is the underlying philosophy of a number of innovative programmes being carried out in Uruguayan schools that are using gardens as a teaching resource, explained Edith Moraes, director of the national Primary Education Board.
New Colombian party linked to right-wing gangs (Boston Herald)
BOGOTA – A new party accused of ties to far-right criminal bands has emerged as a surprising force in Colombian…
MEXICO: Consumers on the Offensive
MEXICO CITY, Mar 13 (IPS) – Mexican consumers are currently facing a combination of price rises, economic recession and lack of legal protection in the face of abuses committed by providers of goods and services.
ECUADOR: Avatar Downfall a Blow for Indigenous Communities
QUITO, Mar 9 (IPS) – Science fiction blockbuster Avatar was the big loser in the Oscar awards ceremony – not only a blow for director James Cameron but also seen as a symbolic reverse in the struggle to recover Amazon rainforest areas in Ecuador from the effects of oil pollution.
