Mercosur

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile on the “right course”.

  Chile is on the “right course”, said Enrique Iglesias president of the Interamerican Development Bank, IDB, in direct reference to the country's economy.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  New Economy Minister in Uruguay

  Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle unexpectedly announced this Tuesday that Economy Minister Alejandro Atchugarry had resigned, and a close aide of the Minister, Isaac Alfie had been named to replace him.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez calls for completion of founding fathers' liberation drive

  Visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in Buenos Aires Tuesday that his country was not out to “export” its revolutionary model, but that the “time has come” to complete the liberation efforts begun by Latin America's founding fathers.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  New reconciliation attempt in Chile.

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos admitted that contrary to his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner he has no plans to propose the repeal of the current Amnesty Law.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Drop in Brazilian investment

  Investment in Brazil in 2003 will be the lowest in four years according to a release from the prestigious Getulio Vargas Foundation, FGV, following a survey of 423 companies.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina and IMF at loggerheads

  Argentina and the International Monetary Fund, IMF, this week were unable to reach a full mid term agreement as was expected. The IMF delegation left Buenos Aires Monday night with two main issues unsolved that are considered crucial for Argentina's route map and the outcome of negotiations with its (defaulted) creditors.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  British companies demand Argentina

  British Gas and National Grid, both UK companies with strong investments in Argentina are demanding compensations from the Argentine government for losses experienced during the application of the Economic Emergency Bill.

• Monday, August 18th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  President Chavez's agenda in Argentina

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this weekend began a five-day visit to Argentina, where he plans to propose the creation of a regional Latin American oil company.

• Sunday, August 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile and Uruguay the most stable in the region

  Chile and Uruguay have the highest democratic development index of Latinamerica, while Paraguay and Venezuela stand at the extreme opposite according to the latest report from the German Foundation Konrad Adenauer simultaneously released last week in several continental capitals.

• Sunday, August 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Agriculture negotiations remain “unchanged”

  Mercosur officially expressed concern over the lack of progress in the agriculture trade talks with United States and the European Union given the coming World Trade Organization ministerial meeting scheduled for September 10/14 in Mexico.