Mercosur

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Mexican Congress sent “frustrating” image to the world

  Mexican Congress members sent to the world a “non-stimulating, frustrating” image of lack of governance and populism which tarnishes the whole Latinamerican continent, said Chilean former president Eduardo Frei who was present at the taking office ceremony of incoming president Felipe Calderón.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Puerto Madryn acts to protect whales' habitat

  A controversial sale of plots to build homes at a popular whales' sight seeing area, El Doradillo, ten miles from Puerto Madryn in Argentine Patagonia has been suspended following protests from environmentalists.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina's energy policies concern UK investors

  Argentina's energy policies and relations between government and the private sector were the main points underlined by a delegation of British MP that recently visited Argentina with the purpose of promoting trade and exploring “new markets”.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Hugo Chavez Wins Re-election By Wide Margin; Will Rule For Six More Years

  Hugo Chávez was re-elected Venezuela's president for a six-year term on Sunday with 61 per cent of the vote, 23 percentage points ahead of his main opponent, who conceded defeat but challenged the magnitude of the margin.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Gibraltar's constitution is “modern” or “more modern”

  Gibraltar's Opposition said over the weekend that the positions of London and Madrid on Gibraltar had begun “to converge” within 24 hours of the announcement of the referendum result, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Shannon hopes for increased dialogue with Chavez

  United States Under Secretary for Latinamerica Thomas Shannon said he trusted Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez would show “more interest” in deepening the dialogue with Washington now that he has been re-elected by a comfortable majority.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  “Argentina/Uruguay relations at their worst in 15 years”

  Uruguayan Economy minister Danilo Astori said that relations with Argentina are “at their worst moment in fifteen years” and regretted that Brazil has adopted an “indifference” attitude regarding Uruguay's claims in Mercosur.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Magallanes Region has lowest unemployment in Chile

  Magallanes again ranks as the Region with the lowest unemployment rate in Chile according to the latest report from the National Statistics Institute.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Cattle produce more greenhouse gases than driving cars

  Cattle-rearing generates more global warming greenhouse gases, as measured in CO2 equivalent, than transportation, and smarter production methods, including improved animal diets to reduce enteric fermentation and consequent methane emissions, are urgently needed, according to a new United Nations report.

• Monday, December 4th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  OECD anticipates weakest growth in four years

  The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD said world economic expansion will fade in 2007 to its weakest in four years, dragged by a U.S. slowdown that will force the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.