HAVANA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — President Raul Castro has named Army Corps General Leopoldo Cintra Frias minister of the Cuban Armed Revolutionary Forces (FAR), the government says.

Frias served previously as first vice minister of FAR and replaced Army Corps General Julio Casas Regueiro, who passed away on Sept. 3.

A government release said Tuesday that Frias is a hero of Cuba and a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (CCP). Continue Reading

MANAGUA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) — Daniel Ortega, Nicaraguan incumbent president and candidate of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), won a landslide re-election victory in Sunday’s polls, election authorities confirmed on Monday.

Supreme Electoral Council President Roberto Rivas announced that Ortega won the elections after obtaining 62.65 percent of the vote, with votes counted in 85.8 percent of polling stations in the Central American nation. Continue Reading

LIMA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — Peru is emerging as a major trading partner of China in Latin America and enjoys broad benefit from the robust bilateral trade, a senior official said on Monday.

“The relations aided by the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are very rewarding because Peru is becoming the largest trading partner of China in Latin America,” Raul Eduardo Bresani, director of Asia and Oceania affairs in the Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua. Continue Reading

GUATEMALA CITY, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Otto Perez Molina, candidate of Guatemala’s Patriot Party (PP), has won the country’s presidential run-off elections, according to the electoral commission.

In the latest results released Sunday by Supreme Electroal Tribunal with more than 90 percent of the votes counted, Perez was ahead with 54.27 percent of the votes while his opponent Manuel Baldizon of the Renewed Democratic Liberty Party (Lider) was behind with 45.73 percent of voter support. Continue Reading

BOGOTA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) — The Colombian government said Friday its military has killed Guillermo Leon Saenz Vargas, alias Alfonso Cano, the top commander of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Hailing the killing as an “very important news for Colombia and its people,” Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon told a news conference that the rebel kingpin died in a clash with government troops Friday in jungles near Suarez city of the southwestern Cauca province. Continue Reading

HAVANA, Nov.3 (Xinhua) — Cuba declared Thursday it would legalize property transactions by individuals from Nov. 10, lifting the half-century ban on residents buying and selling houses since the early days of the 1959 revolution.

“The new law recognizes the sale, exchange and donation of houses among Cuban individuals and foreign residents who have permanent residence on the island,” official daily Granma quoted an official as saying. Continue Reading

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) — Rina grew from a category 2 storm into a major hurricane 17:00 local time (1000 GMT) Tuesday, prompting Central American countries to take emergency measures.

The U.S. Hurricane Center reported the hurricane was 440 km southeast of the Mexican tourist island of Cozumel at the time, and is expected to make landfall on the country’s Yucatan Peninsula early Thursday. Continue Reading

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — Argentine President Cristina Fernandez secured a landslide victory in Sunday’s presidential election with over half of the votes.

Initial results from the National Office of Electoral Processes (NOEP) were in line with exit polls released earlier in the day which gave Fernandez, widow of former President Nestor Kirchner, who died a year Continue Reading

by Al Campbell

VANCOUVER, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — The Canadian city of Vancouver Saturday saw some 5,000 people gather downtown to listen to speakers voicing concerns over corporate greed, government bailouts and environmental destruction.

The all-day event, also known as the “Occupy” movement, took place on the steps outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and included a march up Howe Street, the city’s financial district. It proved peaceful despite the noticeable police presence. Continue Reading

HAVANA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — The Cuban government Wednesday lifted a 52-year-old ban on buying and selling all types of vehicles among individuals of the island, according to a decree published in Cuba’s Official Gazette.

All restrictions on such transactions will be removed with the decree taking effect as of Oct. 1, the Gazette said. Continue Reading

HAVANA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — Cuba on Monday said it is open to “unconditional” political dialogue with the United States on the basis of mutual respect, a senior official at the Cuban Foreign Ministry said.

“Cuba reaffirms its willingness for a political dialogue with the United States, but without any conditions and on the basis of reciprocal respect,” said Josefina Vidal, director of the ministry’s North America department. Continue Reading

SANTIAGO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) — More than nine million people were affected by a widespread power outage that plagued northern and central parts of Chile Saturday night, including Santiago the capital, officials said.

Two and a half hours after the occurrence of blackout at about 2030 local time (2330 GMT), more than 90 Continue Reading