On your way to Ecuador, you can experience the miniature of South American nature and culture. Within a few hundred kilometers, the landscape changes from the hot and humid Pacific coastline to the four-kilometer slopes of the Andes. The world’s highest functioning volcano Cotopaxi (5897 m) is also here. Located in a cup-shaped valley at… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Colombia. The conflict in Colombia took new hopeful turns during the year. In late February, FARC (Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces), the largest of the country’s guerrilla groups, first announced the release of all soldiers and policemen held captive over the past ten years. At the same time, FARC announced that they would immediately… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Chile. In the municipal elections held on October 28, the ruling center-right alliance suffered major defeats to the opposition center-left alliance Concertación. The opposition increased the number of municipalities under its rule by 21 to 168, while the candidates for the government parties lost in 23 mayoral elections and won in 121 municipalities.… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Brazil. The October 17 and 28 municipal elections were a great success for the ruling Labor Party (PT’s) candidates. PT holds the mayor post in 636 municipalities, a considerable increase from 554, and won among other things. the mayor’s post in São Paulo. PT’s coalition partners and the country’s largest party, the Brazilian… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Bolivia. The much-debated road construction through the Indian Reserve and Isiboro Sécure National Park was a hot political topic this year as well. In August, a referendum was held in several of the villages affected by the road construction, and it revealed extensive support for the project. At the same time, villages in… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Argentina. In mid-April, the oil company YPF (Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales), which is owned by the Spanish Repsol, was nationalized. Rumors that a total stateization of YPF stood at the door had been in decline since January and caused the value of YPF’s shares to oscillate sharply on the exchanges in both Buenos Aires… Read More »
South America is the continent of nature records. The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest lake, the Andes, the world’s longest mountain range, and Atacama, the world’s driest desert, all contribute to turning the South American continent into an eldorado of nature experiences. At the same time, world history has made… Read More »