Mercosur

• Monday, March 15th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  “Maya V”: scientific observers union blame Captain Flangini

  Observers and scientists from the Uruguayan Fisheries Department, (DINARA), claim that most of the problems encountered by Uruguayan flagged vessels allegedly caught illegally fishing can be tracked to recent resolutions degrading technical conditions for the naming and selection of observers.

• Monday, March 15th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina and Chile renew cooperation and peace vows

  Argentine and Chilean presidents Nestor Kirchner and Ricardo Lagos last Saturday led a ceremony in the Andes at 4,200 metres above sea-level before a ten meters tall statue of Christ the Redeemer that was built when the two countries came to an agreement over their borders a century ago.

• Monday, March 15th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Opposition Socialists win in Spain

  The Spanish government acknowledged the opposition Socialist Party's unexpected victory in the general election on Sunday. The new Spanish president is José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero but he will not have a majority in the 350 member parliament: his party managed 164 seats and outgoing president Jose Aznar 148. The remaining seats correspond to minor parties.

• Friday, March 12th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazilian inflation decelerates but?.

  Inflation in Brazil during February slowed down from 0,76% in January to 0,61%, according to the latest report from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute.

• Friday, March 12th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Countries commit to population control

  Latin American and Caribbean nations agreed on Thursday to intensify their commitment to birth control and AIDS prevention programs after a two-day U.N. meeting in Chile.

• Friday, March 12th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Legislators vote to make divorce legal in Chile

  Lawmakers voted to make divorce legal in Chile, one of the last countries where it had been banned, despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church and conservative groups.

• Thursday, March 11th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  FTAA negotiations postponed for a month

  Countries participating in the conformation of the United States sponsored Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, decided to postpone for a month the coming March 17 meeting of Deputy Chancellors to be held in Puebla, Mexico, because no minimum agreements were reached.

• Thursday, March 11th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur “is more vision than reality” claims EU

  European Union and Mercosur representatives exchanged criticisms at the beginning of a round of talks in Buenos Aires that should lead to the completion of the Cooperation, Political and Trade agreement between both blocks in the coming months.

• Thursday, March 11th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF anticipates a “collaborative agreement” with Argentine creditors

  Ms. Anne Krueger, Acting Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this Wednesday praised the achievements of the Argentine economy and anticipated that later this month the Executive Board will have completed the second review of the stand by agreement.

• Tuesday, March 9th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina was studying a letter from the IMF.

  With the clock ticking toward a 3.1-billion-dollar debt deadline that Argentina faces with the International Monetary Fund today, the two sides were discussing steps the lender wants Argentina to take to keep a loan deal on track, sources said.