MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Breaking News.

"Cooperation spirit".

The traditional regional "potential" conflicts scenario for Chile, (meaning Peru and Argentina) has been replaced by a "cooperation spirit" in the area. Little Uruguay is also betting in rapid deployment units with helicopter support, fast naval units for fisheries protection and a United Nations officers school which is expected to be set up in the coming months with British Armed Forces support and possibly logistics. At any given moment anywhere between 15 and 20% of Uruguayan servicemen are involved in peace keeping missions with United Nations and in the Sinai peninsula. Finally Argentina in the last decade has seen the Armed Forces budget and number of servicemen drastically cut, plus the elimination of the century old compulsory conscription program. Furthermore default and greater budget constraints impeded the Argentine Navy from participating this summer in the annual joint air and naval exercises, Unitas XLII with American, Brazilian, Uruguayan, Spanish and French units, and the Air Force was grounded and unable to support fighting forest fires in Patagonia, according to Mr. Rosendo Fraga.

Commitment with democracy.

However in spite of insufficient funds and the politically volatile current situation, in a recent public speech Argentine Army Commander in Chief General Ricardo Brinzoni recalled that the Armed Forces task is to uphold "peace and defend the Constitution and the Law". Argentina's top Army officer added that it was necessary for all Argentines "to leave personal appetites aside". In an appeal to national unit General Brinzoni recalled that history indicates Argentina has been able in the past to overcome adverse situations, "and we can do it again, now". Finally he made it clear the Army will not participate in local repression in case of social turmoil, "this is not our mission, or calling, and we do not have the means or the training to replace the police". The speech was interpreted as a reply to rumours spread last week in Buenos Aires that a military intervention was in the making.

German Chancellor visit

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is currently in Mexico the first leg of a five days tour to Lati