Mercosur
MercosurContingency loan for Brazil
The International Monetary Fund approved a 15 billion US dollars additional contingency loan for Brazil, following the satisfactory perfomance of the Brazilian economy, according to a release from the multilateral organization.
US-Chile trade talks
United States and Chile held this week in Santiago the eleventh round of talks in the framework of a future free trade agreement between both countries.
Cavallo remains under arrest.
Argentina's former Minister of Economy Domingo Cavallo remains under arrest after Judge Julio Speroni rejected an appeal by his lawyers. Mr. Cavallo was put under arrest last Wednesday in connection with a probe into illegal arms sales during the early nineties under the Carlos Menem administration when he occupied two different cabinet posts, Foreign Affairs and Economy.
Other options, please
Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle in an official visit to Brazil warned that “times have changed” and this has forced Uruguay to look for other alternatives to Mercosur.
Still not good enough
Faced with a new IMF delegation that insists on fiscal and foreign exchange discipline, the Argentine government imposed export duties, ranging between 10 and 20%, on agricultural commodities exports.
Apathy and Lula lead Brazilian poll
Three presidential hopefuls from the ruling Brazilian coalition for the October election are running a tight race but only one of them could in the second round confront Luiz Igancio Lula da Silva, the opposition candidate from the Socialist Workers Party who is leading in the polls with 25,9%, according to one of the latest polls released and published in the Brazilian media.
Fisheries most dynamic in Chile.
Fisheries was the most dynamic sector of the Chilean economy in 2001, which overall grew 2,8% according to the latest figures released by the Chilean Central Bank.
IMF in April.Hyperinflation warning.
An International Monetary Fund delegation will be arriving early April in Buenos Aires to continue working in a program to specifically boost exports and provide funds for social aid, according to Argentina officials, following a meeting of President Eduardo Duhalde with IMF Managing Director, Horst Koehler in Monterrey, Mexico.
Chilean Armada looks to UK
Chilean Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Miguel Angel Vergara said he was willing to discuss with the Royal Navy options for the Trident Program to replace most of the Chilean surface fleet.
Pressure for a quick agreement
United Nations Economic Committee for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, CEPAL, pressed for a quick agreement from the International Monetary Fund, IMF, with Argentina, to help the country overcome three years of crisis that could have threatening consequences in the rest of the continent.
