The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says an additional nine million people have sunk into poverty this year.
ECLAC says the number of poor in the region, including the Caribbean rose for the first time in six years, from 180 million to 189 million.
ECLAC says the nine million represents almost a quarter of the population that had already overcome poverty between 2002 and 2008 due to greater economic growth, the expansion of social spending and better income distribution.
The UN body is predicting that the number of truly destitute will reach 76 million, up from 71 million last year.
Dominicans vote next month
Dominicans go to the polls next month to elect a new government.
The next poll is constitutionally due next year, but Prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced the 18 December date at a public meeting last night.
Nomination Day is 2 December.
The governing Labour party is seeking its third consecutive term in office.
Skerrit told party supporters that 2010 would usher in “a new era in Dominican politics” and voters should approach the new year with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.
In the May 2005 election, the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) won eight of the 21 seats in the island’s parliament.
UWP leader Ron Green told BBC Caribbean that his party has a strong chance of forming the next government.
Opposition told to stop complaining
Constitutional lawyer, Anthony Astaphan, has told opposition parties in St Kitts/Nevis to stop complaining about the redrawing of constituency boundaries if they choose not to be involved in the process ahead of the next election.
Astaphan’s comment follows the resignation of two of the five members of the constituency boundaries commission earlier this week.
The St Kitts parliament dissolves automatically in mid-December.
An election date has not yet been announced.
Haitian jailed in terror plot
A 30-year-old Haitian man has been jailed for nine years in the US for plotting to blow up the Sears Tower, in Chicago.
Patrick Abraham was seen as the right-hand man of the leader of the 2006 conspiracy, was also accused of swearing allegiance to Al-Qaeda.
Another man was also sentence to eight years in jail for his involvement in the plot.
In May a US jury convicted Abraham and other members of his group of plotting a series of attacks including the Sears Tower and FBI buildings in the hope of toppling the US government.
