Voice of America launches in Nicaragua
The Voice of America is going head-to-head with a cable network backed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez with transmissions in Sandinista-governed Nicaragua.

Venezuelan legislature grants Chavez special presidential powers
Venezuela's legislature, the National Assembly, on Tuesday approved the so-called Enabling Law, which grants President Hugo Chavez special powers for 18 months to enact a series of measures by presidential decree.

Ecuador Protests Shutdown Congress
Ecuadorian legislators suspended Tuesday´s ordinary session faced with a multitude of people around Congress demanding an immediate call to a referendum.

Castro Appears on TV
Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Tuesday appeared on his country's state television for the first time in three months.

Colombia sprays herbicide to eradicate coca
The Colombian authorities said on Monday that the first part of a herbicide spraying campaign in areas that border Ecuador to eradicate coca, the plant used to make cocaine, had finished.