Accredited Third States

President Evo Morales of Bolivia said Wednesday that Hugo Chávez, the cancer-stricken president of Venezuela and one of his closest friends, had endured “most difficult moments” and that Mr. Chávez’s doctors and family were encouraged now that he had returned home, more than two months after surgery and convalescence in Cuba. Speaking to reporters at the United Nations, Mr. Morales said he had not seen Mr. Chávez while visiting Venezuela on Tuesday, a day after the Venezuelan leader’s surprise predawn homecoming.

Hugo Chávez’s stealth return to Venezuela this week, which was carried out with the same signature secrecy that surrounds all aspects of his health status, makes it clearer than ever that Venezuela is leaderless and in need of someone else to take over. Mr. Chávez’s entry was unlike any of his triumphal arrivals from previous overseas trips, which featured adoring crowds cheering the return of their hero. Indeed, his delivery into the country was carried out like a secret intelligence operation.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - AILING President Hugo Chavez has returned to Venezuela, but that is not synonymous with a return to active service as leader of the country. His arrival in Caracas is not likely to silence political opponents salivating at the prospect of his demise, nor will it end the rampant speculation that his precarious health could force him to resign from office. He has been president for 14 years during which time he has been a populist in domestic policy and a nationalist in foreign policy.

WASHINGTON, CMC – The implementation of a Caribbean Civil Registry and Identity System (CCRIS) has been completed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The announcement was made by St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), La Celia Prince. CCRIS was developed to facilitate birth registration and to provide uniform vital statistics in the Eastern Caribbean, said Prince in a statement issued here on Wednesday.

CARACAS, Venezuela (UPI) -- Cancer-stricken Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was sent home to die after doctors in Cuba could do nothing more for him, Spain's ABC newspaper reported. The 58-year-old leader -- who returned to Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, at 2_30 a.m. Monday and was rushed to a downtown military hospital after being treated in Havana for complications following Dec. 11 cancer surgery -- is now receiving palliative care after doctors determined no viable cancer treatment would improve his health, the newspaper said, citing sources in contact with Chavez's medical team.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returned home to Venezuela early Monday after more than two months of medical treatment in Cuba following cancer surgery. Chavez's return was announced in a series of message on his Twitter account, saying "we will continue our treatment here." "We've arrived once again in our Venezuelan homeland. Thank you, my God!!" the first of the three messages said.

QUEENSLAND—Estimates of current rates of reef growth in the Caribbean have been described as “extremely alarming” by the leader of a team of international researchers conducting a study with Australia’s University of Queensland (UQ). According to an article published in Science Alert, UQ research indicates that many Caribbean coral reefs have either stopped growing or are on the verge of starting to erode with potential impacts to millions of people.

In March 2013, the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE ) commenced the Executive Development Program on Energy Planning (EDPEP) that targets energy professionals from Government and private sector agencies, Universities and Research Institutes, as well as, Consultants. The broad objective of the Program is to update and improve the knowledge and skills of professionals in issues related to energy planning in countries of the Latin American and Caribbean Region.

BRUSSELS—The European Union and the United States announced yesterday that they have agreed to pursue talks aimed at achieving an overarching trans-Atlantic free trade deal. The 27-country EU said such an agreement, first announced in Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Barack Obama, would be the biggest bilateral trade deal ever negotiated. Any agreement could boost the EU’s economic output by 0.5 per cent—a highly desirable outcome when the EU and the US are struggling with slow growth, high unemployment and high levels of debt.

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s currency devaluation took effect on Wednesday amid questions about how the government can get a grip on 22-per cent inflation and satisfy growing demand for dollars to pay for imported goods. Some economists predict that the devaluation won’t solve problems such as a dearth of dollars for imports and shortages of some staple foods. The country’s fifth devaluation in a decade established a new government-set rate of 6.30 bolivars to the dollar, replacing the previous rate of 4.30 bolivars.