January 16: Chile

Chile elects socialist Michelle Bachelet as its first female president. The former defense minister belongs to the center-left coalition Concertacion, which has run Chile since the end of military rule in 1990. Bachelet, who won the election runoff with over 53 percent of the vote, pledges to reduce income disparity and increase the voice of women and indigenous people.

January 18: Haiti/Brazil

Brazilian General Jose Elito Carvalho de Siqueira is appointed the head of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti after a suicide of the previous leader. About nine thousand troops have been stationed in Haiti since the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004. The UN Stabilization Mission is trying to secure the violent country ahead of elections, already postponed four times, which are now scheduled for February.

February 6: Cuba

Cuban President Fidel Castro reveals a new monument in a ceremony dedicated to victims of alleged U.S.-sponsored violence against Cuba since the 1959 revolution. The monument is comprised of 138 black flags with a white star. The flags block an electronic board on the side of the U.S. mission in Havana, which scrolls electronic daily messages, including some about human rights. Castro condemned the messages and began building the monument soon after the display started in January.

February 16: Haiti

Rene Preval is declared the winner of Haiti’s February 7 presidential election after a week of confusion and violent protests sparked by allegations of vote tampering. Partial counts indicated that Preval had earned slightly less than 50 percent of the vote and would have to participate in a runoff vote. However, electoral officials reached a deal to throw out 80,000 blank votes, raising Preval’s total to 51 percent. Haiti has had an interim government since the exile of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004.

February 26: Jamaica

Portia Simpson Miller, minister in the local government, is elected president of the People’s National Party, which currently controls the Jamaican government. She will become Jamaica’s first female prime minister after current Prime Minister P. J. Patterson steps down within the next few weeks. A career politician, Simpson Miller has strong popular support, but critics argue that she is not qualified to run the country.

March 11: Colombia

Another 2,000 Colombian paramilitary members disarm as part of the peace process in exchange for reduced criminal punishment. Overall, at least 26,000 members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) have disarmed so far. The United Nations and other organizations have condemned the plan, which offers immunity for serious crimes, but President Alvaro Uribe maintains that is the best way to bring peace.

March 21: Puerto Rico

The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an appeal that called for granting Puerto Rico the right to vote in presidential elections. The U.S. territory has a representative in the U.S. Congress who does not vote, except in committees. The appeal is part of ongoing debate on the island’s status. While polls show little Puerto Rican support for independence, there exists the question of remaining a territory or becoming the fifty-first state.

April 20: Venezuela

Venezuela withdraws from the South American trade organization, the Andean Community of Nations, made up of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accuses the members of being too aligned with the United States. He also announces that Venezuela will join another South American trade bloc, MERCOSUR.

May 5: Bolivia

Bolivian president Evo Morales issues a decree that places the country’s energy industry under state control. The move upset Brazil and Spain, the two main investors in Bolivian gas reserves. The May Day decree stipulates that private companies will have to sell a controlling stake to the Bolivian government and will have to renegotiate contracts. Morales is fulfilling his election platform in which he promised to secure better benefits for impoverished Bolivians.

May 6: Brazil

Brazil opens a centrifuge facility at the Resende nuclear plant in the state of Rio de Janeiro, where it will enrich uranium as means of generating energy. Brazilian scientists claim that their technology is more advanced than that of the United States and France. Prior to the opening of the facility, Brazil went through negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, to ensure that the uranium would not be transferred for the production of nuclear weapons.

May 29: Colombia

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe wins the presidential election, taking 62 percent of the vote. Uribe had changed the constitution, which enabled him to stay in power for a second term. His victory is attributed to his tough policies against drugs and militant groups.

May 31: Ecuador/Venezuela

During a visit to Ecuador, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signs a series of energy cooperation agreements, including refining up to 100,000 barrels of Ecuador’s crude oil a day. Although Ecuador is a major oil producer, it has small capacity to refine the resource, and it hopes that Venezuela will help Ecuador build its own refinery.

June 3: Venezuela

Venezuela receives a delivery of 33,000 Russian assault rifles, the first of 100,000 that President Hugo Chávez has ordered from Moscow. The United States has recently imposed an arms sales ban on the country, and accuses Chávez of destabilizing Latin America. Venezuela, whose military equipment is reportedly outdated, insists that it is its right to buy arms for defensive purposes.

June 5: Peru

Former president Alan García wins the majority of the votes in Peru’s presidential election, defeating his nationalist rival Ollanta Humala after an aggressive campaign. García regards his victory as a defeat for Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who had given strong support to Humala. The president-elect faces the challenge of uniting the politically divided country. García previously served as Peru’s president from 1985 – 1990.

June 6: Chile

Secondary school students clash with police in the Chilean capital, Santiago, during protests over education reforms. At least 262 people are arrested, and roughly 20 journalists and police officers are injured in the turmoil. Students want a complete overhaul of the educational system, and university students and unions support their cause. The government has agreed to increased funding and free transport for some students, but student leaders say that key demands remain unmet.

June 7: Brazil

About 500 people are arrested and 25 hurt in violence after landless Brazilian farm workers storm a congressional building in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. The demonstrators are thought to belong to a militant offshoot of the country’s main landless group, the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST). The protestors’ main demands include an end to what they call slave labor and a legislation to speed up land reform.

June 17: Bolivia

The Bolivian government announces a $7 billion anti-poverty plan that will be partially funded by the recently nationalized gas industry. The scheme aims to create 100,000 jobs a year for the next five years in public works programs. It also intends to improve delivery of basic public services such as school meals and access to clean water. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America.

July 5: Venezuela

Venezuela joins Mercosur, the South American trade bloc. The new membership drew criticism and concern about how to integrate members that prefer an open-market approach from those that promote state intervention in the economy. The other members of Mercosur are Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

July 26: Honduras

A protest over foreign control of various mines in Honduras closes four parts of the vital Pan-American Highway. Protestors object to a 1998 law allowing foreigners to own up to 34 percent of Honduran mines. President Manuel Zelaya condemns the protest, claiming it is bad for the country’s image.

July 31: Peru

Peruvian president-elect Alan García is inaugurated for a five-year term, marking his return to office after 16 years. His top priority is fighting poverty, but some doubt his ability to maintain the current trend of strong economic growth. His previous presidency was characterized by 7,000 percent inflation, corruption, and a bloody internal conflict. More than half of all Peruvians currently live below the poverty line.

August 1: Cuba

Cuban leader Fidel Castro, 80, temporarily turns over power to his brother Raul due to an illness. Castro has been one of the world’s longest-ruling leaders, in power since 1959, and never before gave up power.

August 22: Chile

China signs a free trade agreement with Chile, its first one in South America. The deal gives Chile access to the vast Chinese market. China, on the other hand, will have access to Chile’s vast natural resources, such as copper. Free trade covers 92 percent of Chile’s exports to China and 50 percent of China’s exports to Chile.

September 1: Guyana

Guyana’s president, Bharrat Jagdeo, wins another five-year term in office after his party recieved 54.6% of the vote. Sixty-five percent of eligible voters cast their ballots, and the resulting vote was generally divided along ethnic lines. The campaigns centered on crime, drug trafficking, and the economy.

September 5: Mexico

Mexico’s Federal Electoral Tribunal rules that Felipe Calderón rightfully won the July presidential elections and declare him president-elect. Calderón will take office on December 1, 2006, for a single six-year term. The outcome of the July 2nd elections had been in limbo due to weeks of protests and complaints by the losing candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

September 13: Brazil

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Brazil, where he and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sign multi-million dollar trade deals. The trade deals, which involve technology and alternative energy sources of development, are intended to increase ties between the two major emerging economies.

September 17: Venezuela

Iran and Venezuela sign several bilateral agreements in an effort to boost ties between the two nations. The two countries establish a relationship based on “common thinking and common interests.” The partnership represents a growing group of nations with anti-US sentiments.

September 26: Guatemala

Guatemala security forces reclaim a prison that has been under prisoner control for 10 years. Seven inmates are killed and one policeman is wounded during the raid, but the operation is declared a success. The project started as a farm prison for prisoners to grow their own food, but over the years prisoners made a lucrative business out of selling the land, running shops, and building cocaine laboratories on the grounds.

October 5: Argentina

Argentine prisoners reach an agreement with authorities over swifter trials and improved conditions, ending a hunger strike that involved 14,000 prisoners from almost 30 jails. Strike leaders estimate that over 80 percent of Argentine inmates have not yet seen trial, and some are not scheduled to appear in court until 2013. The agreement includes a ruling that time spent in jail will count towards any potential sentence.

October 5: Mexico

President George W. Bush signs a bill that will pay for a fence that would block one-third of the U.S. border with Mexico. Mexico condemns the proposed seven-hundred-mile fence, saying it will harm relations between the two countries. In 2005, 1.2 million illegal immigrants were arrested while trying to cross the border into the United States.

October 11: Cuba

The U.S. government sets up a new task force to police its trade sanctions with Cuba. Consisting of law enforcement units from several departments, the new task force will aggressively pursue those who travel illegally to or trade with Cuba. Violators could face up to ten years in prison and a large fine. The U.S. embargo against Cuba has been in place since the 1960s.

October 16: Peru

Abimael Guzmán, head of Peru’s Shining Path Maoist guerillas, is sentenced to life in prison for acts of terrorism during the movement’s 12-year rebellion. The Shining Path conducted a violent insurgency against the Peruvian government in the 1980s and 1990s that resulted in about 70,000 deaths. Guzmán claims that he is “a revolutionary combatant,” not a terrorist.

October 23: Panama

Panamanian voters approve a project to expand the Panama Canal in a nationwide referendum. The expansion is needed due to the increasing size of modern cargo ships, many of which are now too large for the canal. The reconstruction is expected to create jobs and help lift the country out of poverty, but opponents argue that it would increase Panama’s debt. The Panama Canal faces increasing competition from the Suez Canal and Nicaraguan plans to build its own canal.

October 30: Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is re-elected for a second four-year term. Lula won 60 percent of the vote in a run-off against rival Geraldo Alckmin. Lula’s campaign promises include boosting growth, reducing inequality, and alleviating poverty. Analysts say it is a resounding victory, particularly because Lula’s Workers’ Party was implicated in last year’s cash-for-votes scandal.

October 30: Bolivia

Bolivia’s government reaches energy deals with ten foreign firms after the nationalization of the oil and gas industry. President Evo Morales’ May 1 decree requires that foreign oil and gas firms cede majority control of their Bolivian operations and work in partnership with the state energy firm. Companies not agreeing to these terms by October 31 will be required to leave the country.

November 3: Latin America

Latin America is projected to see average growth of 4.75 percent for 2006. The International Monetary Fund credits growth in the region to strong domestic consumer demand, better inflation controls, and high oil prices. The region is also seeing widespread reductions in poverty and increased employment.

November 8: Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s former leader, Daniel Ortega, wins the country’s presidential election over conservative rival Eduardo Montealegre. Regional leaders offer their congratulations, but the United States declares that it will support Nicaragua on the condition that its leaders commit to democracy. Mr. Ortega’s main priority is securing foreign investment to alleviate widespread poverty.

November 17: Uruguay

Former Uruguayan President Juan Maria Bordaberry and former Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Blanco are arrested on accusations of involvement in four political killings during military rule in the 1970s. President Tabare Vazquez has made the investigation of human rights abuses committed by the Uruguayan military a top priority.

November 23: Colombia

President Bush signs a multi-billion dollar free trade agreement with Colombia. The deal has yet to win approval from Congress, which opposes the pact since Colombia fails to comply with international worker rights. If passed, it will be the U.S.’s largest trade deal in the Western Hemisphere since 1994’s North American Free Trade Agreement.

November 28: Venezuela

Venezuelan and Iranian government officials jointly open a car plant in central Venezuela. This marks both Venezuela’s attempt to lessen dependency on U.S. imports and Iran’s step toward doing business in South America. Venezuela plans to establish more industrial projects with partners such as Iran, China and Russia.

December 4: Brazil

Brazil’s Para state governor Simao Jatene implements a plan to protect 15 million hectares of rainforest in northern Para. The plan will protect the land from unsustainable logging and agriculture practices. The newly protected area will connect to the Guyana Shield region, a huge conservation corridor in the northern Amazon.

December 7: Colombia

Leaders of Colombia’s right-wing paramilitary withdraw from a peace deal with the government. The pullout follows their transfer to a high-security prison amid accusations that they have been planning illegal activities from jail. Under the agreement signed in 2004, 30,000 fighters have disarmed, and the leaders face a maximum jail sentence of eight years.

December 11: Chile

Chile’s former military leader Augusto Pinochet dies at ninety-one. His supporters mourn his death, while his opponents express anger that he was never sentenced for human rights abuses. General Pinochet took power in 1973. During his time in power more than 3,000 people were killed or disappeared.

December 18: Mexico

Mexican police detain Alfonso Barajas, a main leader of a drug cartel in the western state of Michoacan. Drug trafficking and gang-related violence is rampant in the state, which is the target of a government crackdown. The operation is President Felipe Calderon’s first major initiative since his inauguration on December 2.