BBC's Newsnight announces Inside Latin America week

Newsnight is to broadcast a series of films, interviews and cultural performances in a specially commissioned Inside Latin America week starting on April 3rd.

The week of programming, to be broadcast at 10.30pm on BBC TWO from April 3rd to 7th, will look at various aspects of life in Latin America in the run up to the first round of the Peruvian elections on April 9th. It will also focus on how America has lost influence in its own backyard, the implications of the leftward swing across Latin America and the rise of indigenism.

Many of the films and interviews broadcast in the week will also be shown on BBC World, News 24 and BBC Four.

Gavin Esler will present from Lima for Newsnight, BBC World and for the BBC World Service. He will look ahead to the forthcoming Peruvian elections and candidates, including Ollantu Humala, the hardline leftwingpresident contender. Gavin will look at the countries that have embraced left wing governments and that are challenging US influence on the continent and will also interview key political figures.

Greg Palast reports from Venezuela on April 3rd examining how President Hugo Chavez was able to bankroll the continent's leftist governments and challenge the previously unquestioned influence of the US in the region. The report will also include a new interview with President Chavez. It will be followed by a discussion chaired by Gavin with guests from Lima and Washington.

In a report from Brazil on April 4th Humphrey Hawksley will look at how China is trying to showcase its emergence as an economic superpower by investing heavily in Latin America and on April 5th Newsnight's business correspondent Paul Mason reports from Bolivia, documenting the rise of indigenous politics and how it became able to dominate the current government. The programme has also secured an exclusive long-form interview with Evo Morales, Bolivia's new left wing president. Morales talks about his plans to rip up the constitution and place indigenous people and workers at the heart of decision making, his fractious relations with the World Bank and IMF, and the specific indigenous philosophy behind decision making in the social movements that brought him to power.

In the last film of the week on April 6th Gavin Esler will report on the new wave of Argentine cinema. Other highlights of the week will include performances from Afro-Peruvian band Nova Lima and Carlos Acosta, the internationally renowned Cuban ballet dancer currently performing as Romeo at the Royal Opera House. Viewers will also be able to see an interview with Brazilian World Cup champion and Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva talking about his footballing inspiration, Brazilian superstar Zico, and Juanes, one of Latin America's biggest singers with number ones in several European cities, will perform on Newsnight Review. Mario Testino will also talk about photographs he has taken of Latin America.

Newsnight will have a page dedicated to Inside Latin America on their website www.bbc.co.uk/newsnight. This will include articles, pieces in video, Paul Mason's blog, a picture gallery, background material and specially commissioned articles. There will also be a Feedback section entitled "Show us your country" where Newsnight will invite viewers from Latin America to send in their video phone images  and a Q and A quiz on Latin America. BBC Americas will also create a special page for the Latin America content.

For more information please contact Karen Rosine, BBC News Publicity, 0208 5768367

Notes to editors: Newsnight is BBC TWO's flagship current affairs programme. On air since 1980 its role is to be thought-provoking and informative, analysing complex issues in-depth with high quality and hard hitting films. It is watched by 6.5m viewers a week.

BBC World, the BBC's commercially funded international 24-hour news and information channel, is owned and operated by BBC World Ltd, a member of the BBC's commercial group of companies. BBC World is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and reaches 279 million households (139 million 24-hour homes) and more than one million hotel rooms. BBC World launched in its present format in 1995 and is funded by advertising and subscription. For further information on how to receive BBC World, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbcworld.com .

Karen Rosine

Publicist

BBC News Publicity

*  Work:   020 85768367

*  Fax:    020 85768111

*  Room 2021, Television Centre,  Wood Lane, London, W12 7RJ

* www.bbc.co.uk