Stories for April 2003
Kirchner: I'm my own man.
Argentine presidential candidate Nestor Kirchner pointed out in interviews with the main newspapers of the country that support from the ruling President Eduardo Duhalde administration will not represent “any conditioning or pressure” if he's finally victorious in the May 18 run off.
US-Chile trade agreement on hold.
Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear said in Santiago on her return from Washington that the free trade agreement reached with the United States will be signed and approved, however she also admitted that US Secretary Colin Powell indicated there was no definitive date for the event.
Breaking News
Headlines:
Santiago, second best; Respiratory diseases in Punta Arenas; Crime “boom” in Chile; Sea sciences congress in Magallanes; Sharks in Rio beaches.
Latinamerica expected to grow 2% in 2003.
Latinamerica economy is forecasted to grow 2% in 2003 given the improvement in world trade conditions, easier access to credit and the significant improvement of the Argentine economy, according to the latest release from the United Nations Economic Commission on Latinamerica, Cepal.
Argentine polls depict “Anybody but Menem” sentiment.
Though he took a plurality in the first round of presidential elections, former leader Carlos Menem is rejected by a large majority of Argentines as undeserving of another term and stands little chance in the upcoming runoff, polls indicated Wednesday
Economic stability rather than political renewal.
Argentines voted with their minds and hearts fixed in economic stability rather than political renewal and “the May 18 run-off is another election” with both hopefuls forced to convince the undecided segment. That seems to be the predominant opinion among analysts of the record Sunday voting in Argentina.
Government of South Georgia Increase toothfish catch quota.
Eighteen vessels, an increase of three, have been licenced this season by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) to catch Toothfish in the waters surrounding the two Islands.
FIG donates £ 3,000 for drinking water in Bangladesh.
The Falkland Islands government made a donation of £3,000 to the charity Wateraid that works for the improvement of contaminated drinking water sources and poor sanitation levels in poor countries. The donation is specifically for Bangladesh one of the world's most crowded countries.
Paraguay has a new “tendota”
Close to midnight Sunday the candidate of the ruling Colorado party, Mr. Nicanor Duarte Frutos was declared winner of the Paraguayan presidential election by the Electoral Tribunal with almost 38% of the vote.
Argentine elections: first round
Argentina's former president Carlos Menem and governor Nestor Kirchner will be disputing next May 18 the second round of presidential elections, the first time ever the ballotage system is applied in Argentina since established in the 1994 Constitution.
With over 85% of the vote counted Mr. Menem won 24,1% of the vote and Mr. Kirchner 22%, with an unexpected showing of Mr. Ricardo López Murphy 18,5% who came in third..
