Mercosur

• Wednesday, December 13th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Pinochet's grandson booted from the Army

  The grandson of former dictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte was booted Wednesday from the Chilean Army for having made a highly political and out of protocol speech during his grandfather's funeral services Tuesday.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Norovirus again attacks largest cruise vessel

  

  The world's largest cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, was unexpectedly forced to spend two additional days in Miami getting the most comprehensive cleaning yet after returning to port last Sunday with sick passengers for the second consecutive cruise.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile slaps 12 months 23% levy on Argentine milk

  Chile's Distortions Committee extended this week for twelve months a 23% safeguard levy on Argentine milk and Gouda cheese imports to protect Chilean dairy farmers.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile looses wheat safeguards case with Argentina

  Chile is preparing to appeal a World Trade Organization ruling which states that the price band system applied to safeguard Chilean farmers from Argentine imports of wheat, wheat flour and edible vegetal oil is not compatible with WTO regulations.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Federal Reserve leaves rates unchanged at 5.25%

  Judging that some inflation risks remain and also factors “restraining aggregate demand”, the Federal Open Market Committee from the Federal Reserve, chaired by Ben Bernanke decided Tuesday to leave interest rates unchanged at 5.25%.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Over 60 and left wing, “something is wrong with you”

  Brazilian president Luiz Lula da Silva announced Tuesday that he no longer belongs to the “left” and with the passing of time his political positions have moved further to the center.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chávez: more bark than bite

  By Guillermo Hánskel
  
  
  
  Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is spearheading a Socialist revolution throughout Latin America with a wallet full of petrodollars, but his real influence has been overestimated, with key economies Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and others unimpressed by his fiery anti-US preaching.

• Tuesday, December 12th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Pulp mills controversy

  

  By Dr. Wayne Dwernychuk
  
  
  
  Much confusion exists regarding the proposed Uruguay pulp mills near Fray Bentos and, unfortunately, it would appear the public is continually being fed misleading and erroneous information regarding the environmental impacts of these mills. Regular press articles say the same thing ... “the mills will cause irreparable damage to the environment, fisheries and tourism”. This simply is not so. Such condemnations are not based on scientific fact, and should not form the basis for discord between two countries.

• Monday, December 11th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile's GDP figures revised down again

  Expectations for Chile's GDP growth in 2006 fell again for the fifth consecutive month this year, with the new projection set at 4.4% by the Central Bank (BC).

• Monday, December 11th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Uruguay posts record beef exports over a billion US dollars

  Uruguay meat exports marked a new record when they reached the billion US dollars totaling 476.448 tons on December 2nd. Uruguay's main clients this year have been United States and the Russian Federation.