Mercosur

• Friday, June 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Cuba joins world rush for alternative fuels

  Cuba plans to triple sugar production to 3 million tons and join the world rush for alternative fuels, the official AIN news agency reported this week in Havana.
  “The Sugar Ministry is working to expand production by planting an additional 30% area thus increasing the annual harvest to three million tons”, added AIN.

• Friday, June 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile, Brazil and Peru, the alternative to Venezuela's populism

  Chile together with Brazil and Peru are the alternative to the state-managed economic model and limited democratic values that Venezuela is trying to impose in the region, said Peruvian elected president Alan Garcia following his meeting with Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.

• Friday, June 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Mexico: neck to neck race with electorate split in three

  With just over a week to Mexico's presidential election on July 2, populist candidate Andres Lopez Obrador is emerging with an edge over Felipe Calderon from the ruling National Action Party, PAN, according to the latest public opinion surveys.

• Friday, June 23rd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil: “new deal” for Mercosur junior members

  Brazil proposed in Montevideo a “new deal” for Mercosur and requested a “credit of confidence” from Uruguay, which has bitterly complained about the group's functioning and is moving closer to United States.

• Thursday, June 22nd 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner okays up to 20% stake in Aerolineas

  The Argentine state will re-buy up to 20 percent of the airline it privatized in 1990, according to an agreement signed in Madrid yesterday.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Central American coast buffeted by storm surge

  Nearly 2,000 people in towns along Central America's Pacific coast have been evacuated due to the heavy storm surge affecting the region, civil protection authorities said Tuesday.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil unveils new bio-diesel fuel

  Brazil has developed a new diesel fuel mixed with vegetable oils that will sharply reduce its need for imported diesel, the state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA said yesterday

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Embattled Varig desperately clings to last chance

  Brazil's embattled airline Varig announced a restructuring of domestic and international routes in a last ditch effort to explain the massive cancelling of flights that caused chaos in Brazilian air terminals.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean coalition divided over support for Venezuela

  The possibility that Chile does not support Venezuela for a non permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and thus promoting a third alternative has triggered a bitter controversy inside the Chilean ruling coalition.

• Wednesday, June 21st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  US dollar at its highest in Chilean pesos in a year

  The exchange rate of the U.S. dollar in Chile closed on Monday at $548 pesos to the greenback, its highest value since August 29, 2005 and a three peso gain over last Friday's exchange rate.