Mercosur

• Wednesday, April 9th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  LA forecast growth slashed.

  The United Nations Latinamerican Economic Committee, Cepal, further cut its growth estimate for the region from the 2/2,5% of last November to 1,5/2% because of the international situation created by the Iraq conflict and increasing problems for the Venezuela economy.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula's 100 first days

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva whose administration this week reached its first one hundred days said in a national message that his tough policies avoided a “major economic disaster”.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula exerts Brazil's leadership.

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pressing Mercosur partners to “revive the block's spirit” and strengthen “a joint position in international trade negotiations”.

• Tuesday, April 8th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Meat Congress in Punta del Este.
  Subsidies and depressed prices.

  Two Mercosur delegates exposed the region's potential in meat production and the growing hurdles to international trade in these commodities particularly the European Union and United States.

• Monday, April 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Justicialistas, but still undecided

  With just two weeks for the April 27 Argentine general election, no presidential candidate has a clear lead confirming what analysts describe as a mix of weariness, indifference and even rejection of the Argentine electorate towards the political system.

• Friday, April 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Pinochet hospitalized in Santiago

  Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, remained at the Santiago military hospital on Thursday, after being admitted the day before with a bad cold and a foot injury, family and medical sources said.

• Friday, April 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina to eliminate alternative currencies

  Argentina on Thursday took a step toward fulfilling its agreement with the IMF to take out of circulation provincial-government bonds that have been used as legal tender.

• Friday, April 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Iraq pushes Chilean inflation

  Education and fuel prices pushed the March retail prices index in Chile to 1,2%, and the accumulated inflation of the last twelve months to 4,5%, the highest since 1991.

• Friday, April 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  New Central Bank Councillor

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos proposed a renowned independent economist with international experience, Vittorio Corbo, as Central Bank Councillor, the first step to nominate the next president of the institution following Mr. Carlos Massad resignation that becomes effective May 1.

• Friday, April 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde campaigns for Kirchner

  Argentine caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde abandoned his so far impartial and distant stand and openly campaigned for Néstor Kirchner, presidential candidate for the coming April 27 election.