Tortured genius Maradona hits the big screen in Cannes

Diego Maradona, the Argentinian soccer genius notorious for the "Hand of God" goal and a post-football descent into drugs, hits the big screen in Cannes on Tuesday in a documentary that also shows him as a staunch critic of the United States. Maradona is revered as a god-like figure in his home country.

Germany ignores Chávez's Hitler slur against Merkel

The German government on Monday brushed off a verbal attack from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in which the leftist leader said Chancellor Angela Merkel was a political descendant of Adolf Hitler and German fascism. Merkel sets off for her first trip to Latin America on Tuesday.

Bolivia's richest region votes 'yes' on autonomy

Bolivia's richest region of Santa Cruz voted overwhelmingly for autonomy on Sunday in a referendum widely seen as a rejection of President Evo Morales' leftist reforms, exit polls showed. The ballot was the first of four referendums on greater autonomy from central government being planned by eastern provinces.

Chávez raises Venezuelan minimum wage by 30%

President Hugo Chávez is raising Venezuela's minimum wage by 30% as inflation continues to soar in the oil-producing nation. The socialist leader has signed a decree that will fix the monthly minimum wage at $372, starting on May 1, International Workers' Day. Chávez says the move will give Venezuela the highest minimum wage in Latin America.

Bringing down the new Berlin Walls

The highest and oldest wall is that which separates "us" from "them". This is described today as a great divide of religions or "a clash of civilisations", which are false concepts, propagated to provide "the other" -- a target for fear and hatred that justifies invasion and plunder, writes John Pilger.

South American nations end crisis with handshake

The presidents of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela ended a border dispute on Friday with a summit handshake after a week of regional diplomacy in the face of hostile rhetoric and troop build-ups."And with this ... this incident that has caused so much damage [is] resolved," leftist Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said.

Chávez accuses Colombia of war crimes

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez accused his Colombian counterpart of war crimes as Venezuela and Ecuador turned up the heat on Bogotá over its military strike on an insurgent camp inside Ecuador. "A war crime occurred there," Chávez charged late on Wednesday at a joint press conference with Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa.

Venezuela mobilises forces to Colombia border

Venezuela deployed tanks and its air and sea forces toward the Colombian border in its first major military mobilisation in a crisis with Colombia, the country's defence minister said on Wednesday. The move escalates tensions in a dispute over a Colombian weekend raid inside another of its neighbours, Ecuador.

Colombia says Farc wanted to make radioactive bomb

Colombia said on Tuesday that Farc rebels had been planning to make a "dirty bomb" with radioactive material, threatening the entire Latin American region. The charges by Vice-President Francisco Santos marked a dramatic turn in a regional crisis that has seen Venezuela and Ecuador cut diplomatic ties with Colombia.

Colombia accuses Chávez of funding Marxist rebels

Venezuela and Colombia were locked in a tense stand-off on Monday, with explosive accusations levelled against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez a day after he ordered tanks and troops to the border. There was no sign of imminent conflict but the war of words escalated when Colombia accused Chávez of bankrolling Marxist rebels.

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