Mercosur

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  UNCTAD criticizes free trade policies

  Latin American governments should restructure debt burdens and play a more active role in economic development, the UN Conference on Trade and Development has urged. In its latest annual trade and development report, Unctad sharply criticised the market-friendly and trade-oriented policies adopted during the 1990s and said they had contributed to a “premature de-industrialisation” in the region.

• Sunday, October 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur extraordinary meeting in Montevideo

  Mercosur full member countries Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy will be meeting as of this Monday in Montevideo, Uruguay to consider free trade market negotiations with the Community of Andean Nations, CAN.

• Sunday, October 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay's toothfish quota at risk

  Although all eyes will be set in the trial and “exemplary measures” Australia has promised for the Uruguayan flagged longliner and alleged poacher of Patagonian toothfish, “Viarsa 1”, actually the future of Uruguay's toothfish industry will be decided in mid month in Tasmania.

• Sunday, October 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Clash with the Bush administration.
  Chilean inflation in nine months

  Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim accused United States of “threats” and insisting with a “very destructive” pressure to push forward negotiations for a Free Trade Association of the Americas.

• Saturday, October 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chileans Mark End of Pinochet Rule

  Chileans are celebrating the referendum that marked the beginning of the end of the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet 15 years ago.

• Thursday, October 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  More British Airways flights to Argentina.

  British Airways beginning next January 2004 will increase the number of weekly Buenos Aires-London flights from three to four.

• Thursday, October 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Flat economy and record exports in Brazil.

  Brazil economic growth forecast for 2003 has been cut by more than half from 1,5% to 0,6%, according to the latest quarterly report from the Central Bank.

• Thursday, October 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur-US military exercise suspended.

  Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary Rafael Bielsa announced this Wednesday the suspension in Argentina of a joint military exercise between Mercosur and United States troops scheduled for the end of October.

• Thursday, October 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Controversial celebration.

  One of the leading opposition members criticized the Chilean government decision to limit celebrations of an October 1988 event that proved a turning point in Chilean history to the parties of the ruling coalition.

• Thursday, October 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Ibero-american summit in spite of protests.

  Bolivian Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Saavedra assured his Ibero-american colleagues that the current protests and unrest in Bolivia will have “no influence at all” over the next Ibero-american summit scheduled for November in Santa Cruz.