Section » Labor Issues

Costa Rica: Workers protest and request government amend the amount provided in salary raises

Nearly a thousand people rallied yesterday afternoon at the Ministry of Labour to amending the salary increase a few days ago decreatado 5 000 colones. Piszk Minister is firm in saying that “the issue is closed.” (Photo: Luis Morales). Some unions yesterday held a picket outside the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS) in an effort to lobby the Government to amend the public sector wage increase decreed last week at ¢ 5 000, But while Labor Minister Sandra Piszk, I made it clear to the leaders of these groups that “the issue is closed.”

About a thousand people came to Barrio Tournon to be felt before Piszk and company and government representatives in this matter, but the issue continues without reaching a common point and the cries of these workers were neither heard, at least in this opportunity.

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Ecuador: Defunct Filanbanco retirees protest lack of paltry pension payment

Guayaquil: A group of retired patron Filanbanco SA in liquidation protested yesterday outside the Central Bank of Ecuador, on October 9th Avenue and Street Pichincha. With posters addressed to the President of the Republic, the former employees were asked to cancel the values ​​for employer pensions that are owed since January 2011. Read Article

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Strike ends on Panama Canal expansion

Workers who work in the project to expand the Panama Canal on Saturday called off the strike held for six days to get a wage increase, union sources said. “The strike ended on Monday,” he told AFP Genaro Lopez, leader of SUNTRACS, the powerful union Panamanian construction. “It has concluded an agreement with workers who […]

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Uruguayan public employees don’t want an 8-hour workday

The unions reject new labor regime proposed by Mujica Public Administration and claim to participate in the changes. The project will enter Parliament in March.”The government is discussing the new statute, the official can not make it back to the workers, without them there is no transformation possible,” said the spokesman of the Executive Secretariat […]

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More Portugese leaving Europe for Brazil

(FROM NOV. 2011)INFOBAE reported, given the lack of job opportunities, more than 300 thousand citizens of that country and regularized their immigration status in the South American nation so far in 2011. The good momentum within the economy is the big attraction for skilled foreigners. About 328,826 Portuguese regularized their immigration status in Brazil in […]

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According to ILO, Latin America has lowest employment rate in twenty years

Some Spanish college students across the Atlantic in search of employment in Latin America. Not many, but the number is growing, as recognized by Spanish diplomats. It happens that in Latin America, unemployment has fallen to 6.8% in 2011, said Thursday the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its annual employment outlook for the region. This […]

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Argentina: Three children rescued from clandestine sweat shop assembling unauthorized Disney and Barbie items

A boy of 12 years and two children under 15 and 17 were rescued this morning on a sweatshop where they made ​​cartridge with children and football grounds in operating conditions, in a house in La Plata. There are two adults in custody, a man and a woman, presumably the owners of the place, judicial […]

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Bolivian apprehended in Buenos Aires operating slave labor shop

A 32 year old man accused of exploiting workers Bolivian nationals in a clandestine workshop in Villa Madero, was arrested by police, who rescued 17 people, police in Buenos Aires. The man, shop owner, identified as Alfredo Canaviri Mamani, Bolivian nationality, was arrested by the Department of Investigation (DDI) of La Matanza, which rescued 17 […]

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Peru brings in Ecuadorian aircontrollers to assist manage airspace

Pimentel also referred to the Government’s decision to declare emergency in the air. “They brought us manage our Ecuadorian colleagues Peruvian airspace remains a critical area, restricted and national security,” he told Canal N. Read Article

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Peru: Air controllers threaten indefinite strike if dialogue is not resumed

Although commercial flights began yesterday without any problems at airports around the country during the first day of air traffic controllers strike , Alberto Pimentel, secretary general of the United Trade Union of Air Traffic Controllers of Peru (Sucta), warned that his Guild goes to an indefinite nationwide strike if the state does not intervene […]

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4,500 children injured annually in occupational accidents, Colombia

The Foundation Journalism Communications Agency Allied Children, Social Development and Research – Pandi, found through investigation that the institutions of the country has no statistical records show that actually allow risks to which children are exposed work and how it will affect their health. According Pandi, who works in partnership with the Telefónica Foundation serves […]

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Alert Peru: Various information regarding flight cancellations, delays

Trips were canceled airline LAN, from Lima to Cuzco, Star Peru and Peruvian Airlines, both to the city of Huanuco. The 72-hour strike caused the cancellation of three flights. Furthermore, six overseas flights and 10 domestic trips were delayed. The Peruvian air traffic controllers strike to demand better wages on Thursday caused the cancellation of […]

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PERU ALERT: Arrival of flights from Lima to Chiclayo delayed up to two hours

Between one and two hours delayed the arrival of flights the airport Jose Abelardo Quinones Gonzales of the city of Chiclayo (Lambayeque), from the city of Lima. The variation in time is recorded from the last three flights due to strike by air traffic controllers, which occurs more strongly in Lima’s Jorge Chavez airport. Read […]

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Strikes Begin to Affect Flights in Peru

The 168 airline workers from 18 Peruvian airports have been protesting for better wages among other terms. According to eltiempo.com, these protests have been affecting domestic and international flights. The government has declared the next 60 days an emergency period in which airlines can hire temporary workers to maintain operations. Read Article

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Health workers in Piura Peru on strike

The demonstrators burned tires and threw dolls camaretas demanding that they recognize benefits of Emergency Ordinance No. 037. Health sector workers radicalized their indefinite strike in the Piura region with burning tires and toys, throwing camaretas and clashes with police. They require the payment of benefits set out in the Emergency Decree No. 037, however […]

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95% of Mexican Women Face Harassment in the Workplace

According to milenio.com, 95% of Mexican working women are experiencing harassment in their places of work. Most of them are single mothers and the main sources of income. They, therefore, choose to continue despite incidents of sexual harassment. Read Article

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Alpaca fibers improve but prices remain low for farmers

Although the quality of alpaca fiber is improving as buyers, the cost is still low and farmers only get 170 new soles per month for the sale of that product, according to the Alpaca Project Binational responsible, Arnaut Finet. “Companies that buy alpaca fiber ensures that the quality has improved, however the income for farmers […]

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National Health Workers on Hunger Strike, Bolivia

For provision of an enlarged Union of Workers of the National Social Security Fund (Casegural) was installed on Thursday in La Paz a picket of hunger strike, involving three leaders, demanding the payment of additional increase of 1%, reported union sources. “Workers Casegural La Paz assume the measure of the hunger strike by leaders: Mario […]

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Loophole in Ecuador’s anti shark fishing law

Globalpost.com report – Ecuador and Honduras are the only Latin American countries that have officially outlawed the practice, winning them plaudits for their efforts to protect endangered sharks. But Ecuador also allows fishermen who accidentally catch sharks in their nets to sell them, without any methods to determine whether the sharks were netted on purpose.The […]

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140,000 youths in Costa Rica not studying or working

A 140 000 686 Costa Rican youth aged 12 to 24 years, representing 12.3 percent of the total population this age, neither work nor study revealed the seventeenth State of the Nation. The study, released Sunday in the local press, warns that these young people “are doubly excluded, because they lack access to knowledge and […]

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Ecuador: 142 employees laid off from cement plant owned by government

142 employees of the cement cañarense Guapo (founded in 1955) were notified of his dismissal at 07:00 today. At the main entrance of the company, the directors published the list of employees and workers separated. Once the news broke, this group took over the plant that supplies cement to the south. The path is located […]

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Chile, unemployment rate 7.2%

The unemployment rate in the moving quarter from August to October stood at 7.2%, reaching a figure lower than market expectations. According to the report published by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points over the previous rolling quarter and 0.4 percentage points in twelve months. Read Article

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Civil Service Unions in Chile on second day of strike

The main civil service unions in Chile today starring his second day of strike for job security and higher wages. The vice president of the National Association of Fiscal Employees (ANEF), Nury Benitez confirmed that some agencies like the Treasury, the National Consumer Service, the Department of Labor and the Department of Housing, were completely […]

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Argentina, grain movements stopped by truckers

After three years of relative peace, Hugo Moyano again confront the field. Representatives of the leading truck blocked, for days, the entry of various cooperatives in the villages entrerrianas Crespo, Diamond and Tabossi and prevent the entry and exit of wheat and other cereals for export. Read Article

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Threatened border blockaids of Central American countries

The borders of Central American countries could be blocked in December by freight carriers operating in the region, who yesterday expressed his displeasure with the possible adoption of a series of reforms of the Regulation on International Land Transit System. According to officials of the American Federation of Freight Carriers, Fecatrans, the governments of the […]

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Growing rumor that Cuban doctors will replace Ecuadorian physicians

In the red alert citizens awoke in massive layoffs of public hospital doctors increasingly takes more strength the rumor that they will be replaced by Cuban doctors, with wages lower than those dismissed, and unconditionally to the interests of government Rafael Correa. “It is what it says on the environment,” says Dr. Francisco Andino, one […]

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Emergency meeting called regarding mine strike in Cajamarca, Peru

Gregory Regional President Santos will meet with provincial and district mayors this November 26 to evaluate the project Conga. The regional president of Cajamarca, Gregorio Santos, announced an emergency meeting with all local mayors on November 26 to discuss the anti-mining strike in protest at the Conga project Yanacocha.Read Article

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Mapuche Indigenous members invade section of Apache Corporation Argentina operations

Mapuche Indians of Argentina invaded a portion of the gas processing plant of the company Apache Corporation, as a protest against the company, because this contaminates the water in the area where they live, local press reported. According to Reuters, the U.S. company Apache Corporation, had to discontinue work on the plant in the province […]

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40 percent of Argentine work force has considered leaving their current organization

Career development ranks first among the factors most valued employees of an employer, followed by wages and training, reveals a survey by Mercer. And while they are positive about their organizations, they are much less about the performance of senior management. Read Article

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Access to Port Caleta Paula blocked, stevedores demand subsidies, Argentina

Pickets do not let up at Caleta and the governor wants to withdraw subsidies. Access to the Puerto Caleta Paula, blocked by stevedores and unoccupied tents in front of the municipal building and the square of the Gorosito, seem to be the tip of the iceberg of social conflicts that are exacerbated by the delay […]

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Panama, health unions preparing for general strike

After 29 days on strike, the strike by health unions in Panama continues after the National Negotiating Medical Commission (Comenenal), supported by hundreds of associations and organizations, announced Thursday it is preparing a general strike if the government does not withdraw of the 349 National Assembly the draft Public Private Partnership (PPP) to consider privatization.Read […]

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Air Force to take over air control operations for Argentina next Monday

The Argentine government has decided by decree that from Monday the air traffic controllers will again depend on the country’s air force since the trade dispute that remains suspended international flights since last Saturday remains unresolved, according to the Official Gazette of the Republic of Argentina.By means of Decree 1840, President Cristina Fernández ordered to […]

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Labor issues cause cancellation of Aerolíneas Argentinas domestic flight

According to sources from the local airport terminal, delays lead to beat the operating hours of the pilots. For this reason there was no crew available for the plane took off. Complications have links with union problems facing the state enterprise. Read Article

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Colombia, employees riot at Ecopetrol facilities

The peaceful day of protest by workers of the state oil degenerated into riots in Barrancabermeja and Cartagena, leaving a toll of 26 people injured, three of them seriously. The employees, alleging breach of employment agreements, called a paralysis of 24 hours nationwide. In Barrancabermeja, around 9 am, clashed with riot squads of police throwing […]

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Chile, 16,000 women have taken postnatal leave since introduction of new law in October

The Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Evelyn Matthei, reported this morning that since the entry into force of the new law postnatal on 17 October, 15 421 permits have been granted six months postnatal. He further reported that in 25 cases, the mother gave him the benefit of his father, as the case of […]

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Trash miners in Guatemala City

A torrent of gray, toxic water spews from a drainage tunnel and surges along the ravine, tumbling along garbage that has fallen from the Guatemalan capital’s main landfill 1,000 feet (300 meters) above. Despite the foul odors, the danger of unstable piles of garbage collapsing and the chance for heavy rain to suddenly raise the […]

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Paraguay orders halt to start of airport workers strike

The Paraguayan government ordered a halt to the start of an airport workers strike scheduled for midnight on Thursday to ensure traffic to the Ibero-American Summit at the weekend. However, unionists who reject a law authorizing the granting of the major airports said they will proceed with the measure and would appeal against the official […]

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Alert: Drought impacting 55 percent of Mexico

The Secretary of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries, Rafael Elvira Quesada, warned that the problem of drought and affect 55% of the country, where thousands of Mexicans have no jobs, food and water. Asked why the Chamber of Deputies from 500 to allocate 700 million pesos to double the amount of the Temporary Employment Program […]

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Peru, only 350 local municipalities have offices for the disabled

Only 350 local governments, there are more than 1,800 across the country, have a Municipal Office of Attention to Persons with Disabilities (OMAP), today unveiled the Conadis. The president of the National Commission for Integration of Persons with Disabilities ( Conadis ), Wilfredo Guzman said that this situation the lack of interest that give local […]

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Ecuador, low numbers from the coast choose law enforcement as a career

This makes it difficult to run the presidential decree to end the so-called ‘pass’, and the gendarme work in the same city where he resides with his family. To reverse this trend, the Police made a new call to graduate students in the coastal province of Guayas, interested in joining the police ranks. The idea […]

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27 Hospitals in Cordoba Argentina continue strike over wages

Health workers hold a strike at 27 hospitals in Cordoba for five weeks salary problems. But from the provincial government still refuses to open a salary discussion, media reports said Cordoba. The work stoppage in Cordoba hospitals and in its fifth week, and the guards are only guaranteed minimum and emergency care and emergencies. Yesterday, […]

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Sixty percent of Colombians do not have a decent job

The general attorney’s diagnosis shows a waste of human capital, El Tiempo reports. Six of every ten Colombians who are employed do not have a decent job. They work on their own and most are in the informal sector, they work without a formal contract, earn less than the minimum wage and are outside the […]

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Brazil Labor Minister states not enough jobs being created

The Labor Minister Carlos Lupi, attributed to the processing industry to reduce the generation of jobs in September. This compared with the same month last year. Commenting on the behavior of the creation and disappearance of jobs in the ninth month of this year, Lupi said that economic sector lost 30,000 jobs in September, which […]

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Bolivians rescued in Argentina while working in sweatshop owned by Bolivians

Crimes and Division Summaries of Argentina made a raid for trafficking and labor exploitation in a textile factory that operated in two homes in the neighborhood of Floresta, where they found 21 people working in subhuman conditions. The shop owners were arrested and Bolivian nationality are investigated by the justice department. Read Article

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Public Health strike in Chile

Close to 26,000 members of Chile’s National Confederation of Municipal Health Workers (Confusam) are now on a three-day strike demanding labour improvements and reforms. At the beginning of the strike yesterday, health workers demanded a protocol agreement signed with the government last year be respected and blamed Health Minister Jaime Manalich for the strike due […]

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Puno Department Peru, 80% of workers being exploited

In the department of Puno would reign the harshest labor informality, after news that more than 80% of companies in the region would infringe the rights of their workers, according to statistics cited by the Regional Directorate of Labour and Employment Promotion. According to the head of sectoral management, Apaza Walter Zela, many of the […]

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Venezuela losing doctors because low salaries, insecurity in hospitals, inadequate infrastructure

Tired of low wages, alarmed by the insecurity prevailing in hospitals and disappointed at the inadequate staffing and infrastructure faced by health centers in the state, in the last year have migrated to other countries twice as many doctors that form the core Aragua.Así universities reported by the President of the College of Physicians of […]

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Ecuador, social gap between women and men decreased according to latest census

The gap between women and men fell in Ecuador according to the results of the last national census of population and housing, whose data will be used to plan the development, it was learned today in this capital. The research, conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Ecuador (INEC), states that people […]

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Colombia, half of lumber harvested is done so illegaly

They get to cut down forests without permission or with false papers legalized. In nearby national park The Katie the illegal logging is an everyday thing. Sawmill groups, representatives of ‘mafias’ international or need income laborers valuable trees felled, cut and sell timber removed, before being sent to markets in China and other countries in […]

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Peru’s only iron producer declares force majeure

Peru’s only iron producer, Shougang Hierro Peru, declared force majeure on its deliveries due to a workers strike, the company’s general manager said on Thursday. The company’s 1,124 workers laid down their tools on Wednesday in an indefinite strike demanding higher salaries. Read Articl

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Chile’s Collahuasi mine avoids work stoppage

Workers at the world’s No. 3 copper mine, Chile’s Collahuasi, have decided not to stage a threatened 24-hour stoppage after accepting a deal proposed by the mine’s operator, a union source said on Friday. Read Article

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Mexico, 400 teachers involved in work stoppage because of insecurity issues

Denounce alleged threats of extortion and kidnapping, the State Department of Education asked schools not to stop activities. Before the work stoppage than 400 basic education teachers and 80 schools belonging to the sector 4 comprising six school zones, for alleged extortion and kidnapping threats, school officials and agreed to strengthen public safety operations, checkpoints […]

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Kirchner announces National Strategic Tourism Plan for Argentina

Argentine president Cristina Kirchner will announce today her National Strategic Tourism Plan that will open bidding for the construction of electrical lines that connect Buenos Aires to Tucumán, according to lavoz.com.ar. Kirchner will be broadcasting from the Hall of the Bicentennial Argentine Women in the Casa Rosada, after which she will take calls from prospective […]

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Latin America, impact of youth unemployment

Unemployment in the OECD countries averaged 18.9 percent last year, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 10, and youth are three times more likely to be unemployed than older workers in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the International Labor Association. Meanwhile, protests calling for education reform in Chile have erupted in violence and […]

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Honduras, recent deaths spark special unit looking for weapons

Following the recent deaths of leaders of peasant movements, last weekend in Tocoa, security agencies deployed a special team looking for weapons Lower Aguán.The housemates Salgado, Reina Mejia, managed to leave the courtyard of his house, where was his head in the first line of barbed wire. The commander of Joint Staff of the Armed […]

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Brazil, Zara Subcontractor Accused of Sweatshop-Like Conditions using Bolivians

Global popular fashion chain Zara has been accused of having sweatshop-like conditions at some of the factories in South American it subcontracts from. The Brazilian Ministry of Labor is investigating the Spain-based brand due to the discovery of a contractor in São Paulo employing predominantly Bolivian immigrants working under unsafe conditions. According to the parent […]

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Andean Community to strengthen integration during Lima meeting

Representatives of the Andean Community (CAN) will meet today in Lima to evaluate a “re-engineering” of the Andean group which allows to strengthen the sub-regional integration process. Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin is to chair the meeting which will address social issues such as the participation of Afro-descendant communities, Andean cooperation and specific environmental […]

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Colombia, interview with activist IRENE RAMÍREZ

“I repeat: there will be no peace talks without concrete actions. Words are not enough,” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on a visit to Argentina this week. Earlier, in Chile, he said for the first time since taking office a year ago that he was “willing” to eventually sit down to talks with the […]

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Venezuela, Venezuela 21 / Aug / 2011 11:49 a.m. No comments Morales calls for respect for women representing Public Authorities

From Parque Carabobo, Caracas, the head of the highest court said they are “firm, with more strength every day. Each day we will be more and more resolutely keeping the Venezuelan institutions, defending the public powers and carrying out our Constitution”. Read Article

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Access to important Colombian oil field blocked by protest

Protesters are blocking access to a major oil field in eastern Colombia operated by Canada’s Pacific Rubiales to demand the company employ more people from neighboring areas, a trade union leader said on Friday. Read Article

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Latin America, U.S. moves beyond traditional diplomacy

The United States has never experienced a more auspicious moment to advance its fundamental national interests in the Americas. Today, most nations of the hemisphere are building on democratic success, economic growth, expanding capacity, and regional integration to overcome past inequities and to drive major internal transformation. Read Article

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Brazil, 9 construction workers die in accident

Nine construction workers were killed early this morning when an elevator collapsed in the building they were working on in Iguatemi, a commercial district of Salvador, the capital city of Bahía, Brazil, according to abc.com.py. The workers were on the 20th floor when the cable snapped for unknown reasons. An engineer working at the construction […]

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Quito, Ecuador: Alarming Number of Minors Work on Streets as Vendors

Extra.ec reports a study by the Catholic University of Quito found that out of 5,643 street vendors, 1,093 are younger than 17 years old. Also, the study found that 64.4% of the vendors are men and 35.6% are women. The basis of the study was to find out the working conditions of the traders. The […]

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Lima, Peru: New Point of Human Trafficking Networks

Peru21.pe reports that Lima has become a new haven for networks of human trafficking. Police say in the last couple of weeks they have raided about 71 nightclubs where women, including minors, have been sexually exploited. Police add the raids were in the Cercado area of Lima. Officials of the Official Registry System of Human […]

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Shared Dream’s foundation on strike in Santa Fe, Argentina

160 workers of the Shared Dreams foundation in Rosario, Sante Fe have gone on strike due to missing wages and after feeling cut off from the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo since the recent money laundering scandal, according to perfil.com. The Rosario workers, based out of the Barrio Toba neighborhood, have been working on […]

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Estimate 3 million tourists in Uruguay this year

Uruguay is estimated to receive 3 million tourists by the end of the year, making the tourism industry one of the largest contributors to the national economy, reports elobservador.com.uy. These 3 million visitors are estimated to boost tourism revenue to $2,000 million by the end of 2011 and are already generating thousands of new jobs. […]

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Ecuador: 10,000 Bureaucrats Want To Use Forced Retirement Decree For Benefits

According to ElComercio.com the National Confederation of Public Servants (Conasep) calculated that about 10,000 bureaucrats are interested in the new decree, which announced a voluntary retirement due to age. Officials say article 81 of the Organic Law of Public Service (Losep) establishes that workers under the age of 70 can take advantage of the new […]

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Protestors cause traffic chaos in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina

Union protesters from the Port of Buenos Aires have cut off traffic on the infamous 9 de Julio, one of the largest avenues in the world, near the Obelisco and traffic in downtown Buenos Aires has become absolute chaos, reports infobae.com. Protestors gathered at the Obelisco this morning around 11:30 calling for “historical reparation.” Adding […]

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Puno, Peru: Businesses Ask for Economic State of Emergency, Wake of Mining Protests

ElComercio.pe reports that Puno business people have asked the Peruvian Ministry of Finance to declare an economic emergency in their region. Officials say this is due to the recent protests concerning mining concessions in Puno. The economic losses due to the protests stand at $200 million report CPN. Authorities from the Juliaca Chamber of Commerce […]

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Poverty in Latin America You know it when you see it

(From the Economist) HOW do Latin America’s countries rank in terms of wealth? Whatever answer you have in mind is wrong, according to one measurement or another. Take GDP per capita: as of a few years ago, Brazil has been richer than Mexico. But if you account for purchasing power (that is, the amount of […]

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Peru Will Experience Energy Deficit 2012, May Turn To Ecuador

According to ElComercio.com Peru faces a temporary energy deficit in 2012 and could ask Ecuador for help in importing electricity in the northern regions of Peru. The Minister of Energy and Mining, Pedro Sanchez made this announcement on Tuesday, July 19th. Officials say energy cuts are due to problems of drought and lack of rain. […]

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Lima, Peru: Merchant Throws Acid At Policemen, Street Traders Upset About Reorganization

According to Peru21.pe a merchant in the commercial center of Lima threw muriatic acid at a group of policemen while the uniforms were attempting to evict the traders from the area in accordance with the Municipality of Lima’s reorganization of street trade. Officials say the Lima mayor, Susan Villaran accompanied the four policemen from the […]

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Ecuador: The Federation of Public Workers Opting for Strike

According to ElComercio.com the Federation of Public Workers in Ecuador has signaled, through their union representative, they are leaning toward going on strike. The union representative, Miguel Garcia says the decision comes after the government’s Executive Decree 813 that establishes obligatory or bought resignations for state workers. As of now, Garcia says the union has […]

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Brazil, Lowest unemployment rate for June in 10 years

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported today that the unemployment rate during the month of June was the lowest the country has seen in 10 years, according to abc.com.py. The unemployment rate of the economically active part of the population was at 6.2% this June, compared to 7% last year and 11.6% […]

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US leans on Guatemala to enforce trade pact

Seven years after Guatemala signed a free-trade pact with the US that included an agreement to enforce its labor laws, Guatemalan union leaders complain that they are still assassination targets, and that businessmen still illegally fire workers. Read Article

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More illegal immigrants in U.S from India via Guatemala

Indians have arrived in droves even as the overall number of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. has dropped dramatically, in large part because of the sluggish American economy. And with fewer Mexicans and Central Americans crossing the border, smugglers are eager for more “high-value cargo” like Indians, some of whom are willing to pay more […]

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Ecuadorian Government Has Eliminated 4,000 Public Service Positions

According to ElComercio.com the Ecuadorian government’s Executive Decree 813, that gives officials the right to “buying” resignations of public servants, became affective on July 12th. Therefore, representatives from state institutions met this past Wednesday, July 13th to establish a position to the modification of the Public Service Law. Authorities at the meeting say representatives will […]

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Ecuador: Slow, Stalled Process of Legalizing Executive Taxis

According to ElUniverso.com the Ecuadorian government has not followed through with its promise to legalize the executive taxi business. In 2008, President Rafael Correa ratified the Transit Law to give executive taxi drivers the right to work. However, since then there has been no follow up on legal licenses for these taxi drivers. El Universo […]

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Lima, Peru: Police Arrest 18 for Disorderly Conduct in Transportation Strike

According to ElComercio.pe police have arrested 18 strikers for disorderly conduct on Wednesday July 13th. Police say they detained the strikers for disrupting traffic and assaulting drivers who were not participating in the strike. In districts like San Juan de Lurigancho, which has thousands of people who work in the center of Lima, there is […]

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Panama’s indigenous communities call for strike

According Agenica Venezolana de Noticias, on August 9 the indigenous community in Panama will lead a national strike and march to the capital due to a breach of Changuinola agreements by President Ricardo Martinelli. The strike was decided by the General Conference of indigenous regions, who were enraged by the government’s failure to compensate indigenous […]

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Mexico: Posadas Group Faces Another Fraud Lawsuit

The Aviation Pilots’ Union (ASPA) of Mexico has brought a second lawsuit against the Posadas business group. According to the lawsuit, which was brought before the Attorney General’s Office, the businessmen retained the withheld income tax from the salaries of Mexicana Airlines pilots, and then blamed employees for the tax “error” at the end of […]

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Lima, Peru: 5,000 Police Deployed for Wednesday’s Transportation Strike

According to ElComercio.pe the chief of the Seventh Regional Directorate of Police (DIRTEPOL) in Lima, Javier Sanguinetti will deploy 5,000 policemen with orders of immovability for protesting transportation drivers, starting at midnight on Tuesday, July 12th. The DIRTEPOL unit serves different sectors of Lima to ensure security and order. Officials say a transportation strike was […]

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Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: Sea Cucumber Fishing Season Delayed

According to GalapagosPark.org the Union of Fishing Cooperatives of the Galapagos (UCOOPEPGAL) asked for a delay in the start of the 2011 season of sea cucumber fishing. Fishermen are dealing with a scarcity of fuel in the Galapagos, which is necessary for small vessels where the sea cucumber processing happens. These vessels are prohibited from […]

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Guayaquil, Ecuador: Protests Erupt in the Center

According to ElComercio.com today, at mid-day, Wednesday July 6th, about 50 protesters marched through different sections of Guayaquil’s center. A protest that began at the Palace of Justice consisted of several former employees of Ecuador’s National Beer Company. The former employees were asking authorities to expedite a judicial case involving the company so that they […]

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30% of students absent today per drivers strike in Asunción, Paraguay

The public transportation drivers strike taking place in Asunción, Paraguay today has already caused huge delays for commuters and street blockages, and has now become the reason 30% of all public school children in the city were unable to attend school today, according to abc.com.py. The Department of Education has been dealing with an unusually […]

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Ecuadorians Retiring in Spain

According to ElComercio.com the governments of Spain and Ecuador have signed an agreement that will allow Spanish and Ecuadorian emigrants to choose between which of the two countries to retire. The announcement was made by the president of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS), Ramiro Gonzalez in coordination with the Spanish Ministry of Social Security. […]

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Lima City Council Assesses Street Vending Situation

ElComercio.pe reports after six months of Lima Mayor Susana Villaran and her administration, an assessment of transportation, urban development, and security in Lima is needed in order to create balance in a city where there is little. Officials say that the city has a serious problem with street venders who block Lima’s busy streets. Luis […]

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Puno, Peru Mine strikes end after 45 days

Anti-mining protests in the region of Puno, Peru that caused five deaths and a road blockages to Bolivia finally ended, this past week, with increased government protocol for the protection of natural resources, reported infobae.com. The strikes often led to bloody confrontations with the police, and the burning of vehicles and buildings as public demonstrations […]

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Peru-Bolivia Border Reopened

Ecuadorenvivo.com reports that the Desaguadero border crossing, which is the main border crossing between Peru and Bolivia, was reopened today after 42 days of protests and blocking. Police say that everything is back to normal in the area, however there are long lines of vehicles delivering products from Bolivia to Peru. The Puno Chamber of […]

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Two Rural Workers Killed in Attempt to Occupy Peruvian Airport

According to ElComercio.com on Friday June 24th two people were killed and 12 injured when rural workers tried forcefully to occupy the airport in Juliaca, located in southern Peru on the Bolivian border. The occupation was lead by anti-mining protesters that were eventually repelled by the Peruvian police says a hospital source. Officials say that […]

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Pachakutik and the Rise and Decline of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement

Pachakutik and the Rise and Decline of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement- Recorded interview with co-author Dr. Scott H. Beck (Dr. J. Mijeski) (Recording Time – 01:16:21) Pachakutik and the Rise and Decline of the Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement (Ohio RIS Latin America Series) The mobilization of militant indigenous politics is one of the most important stories […]

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Ecuador Signs Multilateral Social Security Agreement

Anedes.info.ec reports that Ecuador signed a Multilateral Ibero-American Agreement on Social Security on Monday in Madrid, Spain. The agreement concentrates on guaranteeing equal treatment and future pension for workers in the participating countries. According the article, the agreement arose from the need to protect individual rights of the millions of migrant workers and their families […]

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Puno, Peru: Dialogue Between Officials, Miners Continue

According to ElComercio.pe talks between the Ministries of Energy and Mines, Agriculture and the Interior with the group of Aymara leaders continued on Saturday without resolution. Dialogue held on Friday included a proposal of concessions from both parties to end the mining strike. The Aymara leaders rejected the proposal, continuing the fight for the cancellation […]

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Peru: Operations Against Companies to Halt Child Trafficking

According to Andina.com.pe more than 3,700 Peruvian businesses were inspected nationwide by a joint operation between two government agencies. The operation was to verify that the business did not violate Peruvian laws of human trafficking. Adolfo Alarcon, a director at the Ministry of Labor says that more that two million adolescents between 6 and 17 […]

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Puno, Peru: Unions Threaten to Radicalize Protests

According to ElComercio.pe unions in Puno today, are threatening to radicalize protests if the arrest warrant against Walter Aduviri is not thrown out. The Aymara leader has spent more than 24 hours inside the Panamericana Television station to avoid being captured. Judge Maria Morales signed a warrant for his arrest on the crime against public […]

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Esmeraldas, Ecuador: Minister Questions Destruction of Mining Machinery

According to ElUniverso.com a legislator of the Democratic Popular Movement (MPD) Linder Altafuya is questioning the destruction of mining machinery on May 21 by three ministers of the Biodiversity Committee of the National Assembly. Altafuya is questioning the legality of the actions by these minister that left one wounded and more than 67 earthmovers destroyed […]

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Esmeraldas, Ecuador: Ministers Defend Mining Intervention

According in Hoy.com.ec Interior Minister Jose Serrano and Security Minister Homero Arellano defended the military operation where 67 “retroescapadoras,” or earthmover used for illegal mining and extraction by small-scale miners in the San Lorenzo canton. The two ministers state that in eight months these miners were able to extract more than USD 100 million without […]

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42% Peruvian Children Pick Coca Leafs or Exploited in Cities

According to Hoy.com.ec more than 3 million Peruvian children work in hazardous conditions harvesting coca leafs or as street venders. Most hazardous child labor occurs in the valley of the Apurimac and Ene rivers where 90% of children harvest coca leafs reports El Comercio. Harvesters are between 6 and 17, mostly women and work for […]

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Ecuador, Calls for Impeachment, Minister of Social and Economic Inclusion

According to Hoy.com.ec Galso Lara, assemblyman of the party Sociedad Patriotica and member of the fiscal and political control Commission presented the Legislative Management Council (CAL) an impeachment request against Ximena Ponce, Minister of Social and Economic Inclusion. The press release stated that Ponce dialed to conduct a necessary check in order to prevent fraud […]

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Ecuador, 370,000 Youths Part of Work Force

Sunday, June 12th the World Day Against Child Labor was held by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports LaHora.com.ec. 13% of the Ecuadorian workforce is made up of children between 5 and 17. Most work in agriculture, some work in mining or construction illegally. Families force their children to earn money. Ecuador’s minimum age […]

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