Latin American port authorities are seizing more drug consignments and counterfeit goods along container routes thanks to a United Nations-backed initiative that is showing growing success after its inception six years ago.

A cracked, flood-prone and sewage-infested stretch of road in a quarter of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, has been transformed into a resurfaced, smooth and clean highway for cars and pedestrians, improving both the health and image of the area, thanks to a United Nations-backed works programme.

Decrying what they termed “a blow by President Hugo Chávez to the independence of judges and lawyers in the country,” three independent United Nations human rights experts today called for the immediate release of a Venezuelan judge arrested after ordering the conditional release of a prisoner held for almost three years without trial.

Latin America and the Caribbean will bounce back faster than expected from the global financial crisis, with growth projected at over 4 per cent next year, a regional United Nations agency for economic development announced today.