Mercosur

• Tuesday, December 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Morales focuses on investments

  Bolivian President Evo Morales has called a meeting with foreign oil companies operating in the country to discuss future investment in the nationalized energy industry, the government said yesterday.

• Tuesday, December 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Former Paraguay president jailed

  The former President of Paraguay, Luis Gonzalez Macchi, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for fraud and embezzlement.

• Tuesday, December 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Ecuador Declares Correa President

  Ecuador s Supreme Electoral Court is officially declaring on Monday economist Rafael Correa.

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

  “Democratic opening” before any US/Cuba dialogue

  United States said that a democratic opening of the Cuban regime is indispensable before any deepening of relations with Havana. The statement came in reply to the conciliating speech by Cuban interim president and Defense minister Raul Castro who called on Washington to the “negotiations table”.

• 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.