Mercosur
MercosurFAM vaccination in Uruguay.
With over fifty reported cases of possible foot and mouth disease, FAM, outbreaks extending along the Argentine border, Uruguayan authorities have opted for a massive cattle vaccination campaign in an attempt to isolate the area, which has now extended to almost 20% of the country's territory.
Peruvian electorate disenchanted.
Peru's two hopefuls in the presidential run off exchanged claims of illegal campaign funding while a growing segment of the electorate expressed their frustration anticipating they will cast invalid protest votes in the coming round.
Top line banker joins Cavallo's team
Argentina has a new Central Bank president, Mr. Roque Maccarone, a reputed banker from the private sector who previously also presided over the country's most important and largest financial institution, Banco Nación.
National emergency in Uruguay
Uruguay declared a national emergency following the confirmation of two foot and mouth, FAM, outbreaks in Soriano, just across from Argentina, and one of the richest farming areas of the country.
The Battle of Quebec.
Having lost the mediatic coverage to the thousands of protestors, violent and non violent, who overrun Quebec, the leaders of the 34 countries of the Americas, virtually besieged in the historic Citadel of French Canada, ratified their commitment to a free trade area, FTAA, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, effective December 2005, and conditioned its members to a “democratic clause”.
US contrary to FAM immunization
Despite the risk posed by highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, FAM, US sanitary authorities and the meat industry have so far refused to consider immunizing livestock in the United States.
Reasonable prospects for Latinamerica.
World economic growth will abruptly slowdown this year falling to 2,2% from last year's 4%, according to the latest World Bank report. However this hard landing should be softer for Latinamerica GDP which is expected to grow 3,7% in 2001, almost equivalent to last year's 3,8%, and push to 4,4% in 2002.
Shell plans to invest heavily in Tierra del Fuego
Royal Dutch Shell has selected Tierra del Fuego as its main option to set up a plant to extract liquid fuels from natural gas. The project involves investing 1,5 billion US dollars and will concentrate in elaborating virgin petrol, jet fuel and diesel-oil.
Quebec presidential summit
This Friday and during the weekend 34 presidents of the three Americas (with the exception of Cuba) will be discussing in Quebec, Canada, the recent documents drafted in Buenos Aires and Toronto for the creation a Free Trade Association extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, potentially turning the area into the world's main block: 800 million people and double the European Union GDP.
Peso as strong as the Euro and the dollar
Argentina's super Economy minister Domingo Cavallo has once again shaken financial markets with his latest initiative: changing the current convertibility system of one Argentine peso-one US dollar, by making it extensive to one Euro.
