Chile, Spain and Uruguay launched on Monday a new electronic money transfer service which links their countries, using technology developed by the United Nations Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Mexico and Brazil risk ratings dropped six and nine points respectively while Argentina's climbed ten, according to the EMBI index from the US JP Morgan bank reported on Monday the Mexican Finance ministry.
Cuban President Raul Castro has warned that Cubans must be prepared for the consequences of the current global economic crisis.
The current ministerial summit in the framework of the WTO Doha Round of world trade talks has been extended until Wednesday in an effort to save the negotiations from collapse.
Congress passed a housing rescue bill Saturday aimed at sparing 400,000 struggling homeowners from foreclosure. President Bush is expected to sign the measure quickly.
United States House of Representatives passed on Thursday a massive housing rescue bill that could help struggling homeowners get cheaper loans. The vote came after the White House announced that President George Bush had dropped his threat to veto it.
The bill will now be passed to the Senate for approval before being signed into law.
Industrial activity in Argentina during the month of June expanded 1.8% compared to the same month a year ago but dropped 4% against May as a consequence of the prolonged stand off between farmers and the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
The ministerial meeting in Geneva in the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) long-running Doha round talks has failed to break the deadlock and several issues remain intractable, from farm subsidies to car import duties.
Argentina authorized the export of 45.000 tons of beef, following on June's 51.000 tons but still short of orders for 77.000 tons. The monthly export figures are regulated by an agreement reached between the government and farmers' organization which privileges domestic consumption.
Uruguay's debt rating was raised one level by Standard & Poor's, citing the country's economic expansion and international debt reduction. S&P lifted Uruguay's foreign-debt rating to BB-, three levels below investment grade, from B+. The outlook on the rating is stable, S&P said in a statement.