Brazil may help sink next month’s WTO talks

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. In anticipation of next month’s World Trade Organization conference in Hong Kong, Brazil and India warned that an international compromise on free trade may not be reached. Brazil’s trade minister warned that another round of talks may have to occur soon after December in order to iron out differences between developed and underdeveloped countries. (Guardian)

Mexican presidential candidate promises to modify NAFTA

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Claiming that U.S. and Canadian subsidies are hurting Mexican farmers, Ricardo Madrazo promised to modify NAFTA if elected as president. Madrazo, the former governor of the Mexican state of Tabasco, appears to be the likely candidate for PRI as a recent poll indicated that he is in second place behind ex-Mexico City mayor Andrés Manuel López Obrador representing the PRD. (Angus Reid)

Bush's underwhelming tour through Latin America

After spending 5 days in the region, US President George W Bush left many wondering what the visit accomplished, and whether it reinforced the negative feelings felt by many Latin Americans toward the lame duck leader. Bush left the region Monday after failing to reignite talks on a Free Trade Area of the Americas, a stated priority for him. (SignOnSanDiego)

Chile denies bail for Fujimori

Chile's Supreme Court denied bail for Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who was arrested in Chile after a surprise visit to the country from Japan. Peruvian officials are working with their counterparts in Chile to extradite Fujimori on charges of human rights violations and corruption. (Reuters)

Latin America's hot new export: telenovelas

Latin American telenovelas have become popular the world over, from Eastern Europe to Asia. Foreign Policy magazine examines the trend and what may become of it. (FP)

US soldier charged with smuggling cocaine from Colombia

Army Staff Sergeant Victor Portales was set to stand trial Monday for taking part in a scheme to smuggle cocaine from a US military base in Colombia to the United States, using military aircraft. Two of his co-conspirators, both US soldiers, have pled guilty and are serving jail time. (CNN)

Controversial sea border law passes in Peru

The Peruvian government has angered counterparts in Chile by passing a law that would claim sovereignty over a larger area of the sea, until now divided by a horizontal line that starts from the point where the border meets the sea, extending due west. The new law would reroute that line to follow the diagonal slope of the border, widening Peru's access to fishing waters. (Reuters)

Mexicans more optimistic about economy

Mexico's government announced Thursday that consumer confidence rose this month despite concerns about the economic impact of recent natural disasters. (Reuters)

House Republican enters bid to build wall along US-Mexico border

Contributed by Christina Nielsen. Republican Duncan Hunter, chair of the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives, has entered a bill outlining the construction of a 2,000 mile fence along the US-Mexico Border. (BBC)

Bush not opposed to Venezuelan nuclear reactor

US President George Bush replied that he thought it might be acceptable for Venezuela to have a nuclear reactor for peaceful use when asked about the topic in an interview with reporters Tuesday, in advance of his trip to South America for the Summit of the Americas. (ABCNews)

Date set for Bolivian presidential elections

Bolivian President Eduardo Rodriguez has announced that general elections will be held December 18th this year. (Bloomberg) Angus Reid reports that a poll by 'Apoyo, Opinion, y Mercado' marks coca farmer Evo Morales as the front runner, holding 34% of the likely vote. (Angus Reid)

Fox looking to revive FTAA

Mexican President Vicente Fox intends to encourage his counterparts at the upcoming Americas Summit to relaunch negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas. (MSN Money)

BusinessWeek: Colombia faces uncertain future

Though the country has experienced significant economic gains under President Alvaro Uribe, Colombia still has a long way to go in finding remedies to endemic poverty and violence, according to BusinessWeek. (BusinessWeek)

Tabare Vasquez continues to enjoy high ratings

Uruguayan President Tabare Vasquez still has the approval of 59% of the population one year after his election, according to a poll by Angus Reid. The Progressive Encounter candidate won election last October with 50.45% of the vote. (Angus Reid)

Vallenato music legend passed away on Sunday

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. Emiliano Zuleta died this weekend at the age of 93 due to respiratory complications. Zuleta was best known for writing one of the most famous songs in the genre of vallenato, “La Gota Fria,” which was popularized around the world in the mid-1990s by Carlos Vives. (NewsFromRussia)

“Telesur” news network now on the air

-Contributed by Erwin Cifuentes. With the slogan “News from the South,” the “Telesur” news network began broadcasting throughout the region on Monday. The channel is backed by four Latin American countries, but mostly Venezuela who envisions “Telesur” as an “alternative to large corporate media outlets.” (MediaChannel)