South America

BOGOTA, March 13 (Reuters) - Colombians were voting on Sunday to elect members of congress and participate in one of three presidential primaries for candidates from right, left and centrist coalitions.

Seats in the country's legislature of 108 senators and 187 lower house representatives have in recent elections been won by myriad parties, forcing presidents to build big tent coalitions in order to pass legislation.

SANTIAGO, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Gabriel Boric Font, a 36-year-old leftist politician, was inaugurated on Friday as Chile's new president, the youngest to hold the office, for the period between 2022-2026.

A former student leader, and legal and social sciences graduate from the University of Chile, Boric was sworn in along with his cabinet during a ceremony at the National Congress in Valparaiso, about 100 km from the capital Santiago.

10 March 2022; MEMO: The US has been trying to tempt Venezuela into increasing its oil production, but President Nicolas Maduro insists on standing by his traditional ally and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. US officials have visited the country with the promise of continued access to US markets.

CARACAS, March 10 (Reuters) - Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday, according to Russia's ambassador to Caracas and Venezuelan state television.

Venezuela is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Nicolas Maduro has expressed support for his Russian counterpart since Russia launched an invasion of its neighbour Ukraine on Feb. 24.

SANTIAGO, March 7 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Less than a week before the end of President Sebastián Piñera’s term, Chile’s government has announced plans to build a long ditch on the border with Bolivia as a measure to control the migration crisis stemming from the illegal arrival of people.

Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado disclosed the intended measure at the National Defense Headquarters in Tamarugal, where a state of exception is in force. President Piñera extended it last week for yet another fortnight.

CARACAS, March 7 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — Venezuela received a new batch of medicines and supplies sent by China as part of the humanitarian bridge between both nations, official sources announced on Sunday .

A total of 69 tons of medicines arrived at the Simon Bolivar International Airport of Maiquetia from China on Saturday, on a flight of the Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautical Industries and Air Services Co.

BUENOS AIRES, Mar 5 (NNN-TELAM) – Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reached a preliminary 44.5-billion-U.S.-dollar agreement, to help the South American country manage its debt burden, the Economy Ministry said.

The “Debt Refinancing Agreement, between the Argentine Republic and the International Monetary Fund” will be promptly submitted to Congress for approval, the ministry said.

MONTEVIDEO, March 4 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Occupancy at Uruguay’s hotels has been between 70 and 90% during the just ended Carnival weekend, which represented a recovery from a bad Summer season for the leisure industry.

Upon releasing the data, Tourism Minister Tabaré Viera said the new figures showed a “slow recovery.”

Uruguay’s Chamber of Tourism (Camtur) and the Uruguayan Hotel and Gastronomy Union (Sughu) also welcomed the four-day performance, although they also warned it was not enough to make up for a poor summer season.

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 3 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Rio de Janeiro local authorities are considering the possibility of scrapping the mandatory use of facemasks given the decreasing number of COVID-19 infections reported over the past few weeks.

The City’s Special Committee to Combat COVID-19, known as the City Hall Scientific Committee, is to ponder the issue during its next meeting March 7, City Hall Health Secretary Daniel Soranz told reporters.

LA PAZ, March 2 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — At least 14 people have been killed in various car accidents and other incidents across Bolivia during Carnival weekend, including a hit-and-run case Sunday in Cochabamba, which alone resulted in nine deaths.

Dancers, musicians, and spectators were returning home after participating in the parade in the Cochabamba region when they were hit by a car believed to have been driven by a drunk person.