Mercosur

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  “Possible retaliation” behind Brazil's ban of Chilean fruit

  Chilean exporters are disgruntled with Brazil's decision to temporary block Chilean fruit imports following the discovery of a “mite” amongst the imported table grape, with the potential “to devastate 30% of Brazil's grapevines”.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  US and Chile preparing for another UN run-in

  In a meeting in Washington, April 21, the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, told her Chilean counterpart, Alejandro Foxley, that Washington would “simply not understand” if Chile were to support Venezuela's bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nation's Security Council.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  President Chavez has a long arms shopping list

  Venezuela is buying helicopters, boats and military transport planes in defense deals worth about 2.7 billion US dollars, according to the latest figures compiled by the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Repsol-YPF/Enarsa to explore for oil in South Atlantic

  Spain's Repsol-YPF and ENARSA Argentina's newly created government owned oil corporation have contracted a seismic surveying vessel for three dimensional exploration in the South Atlantic offshore Colorado Basin.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile students clash with police

  Police have fired water cannons and tear gas at protesters supporting a nationwide strike by high school students to demand reforms in Chile's education law, including a federal takeover to reduce inequality between rich and poor schools.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bachelet fires riot squad chief who beat up students

  Chilean President Michelle Bachelet announced Wednesday the firing of the head of the riot police and severely condemned the “excesses” committed by over-zealous Carabineros during the violent repression Tuesday in Santiago of protesting students.

• Wednesday, May 31st 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Peruvian candidates promise to respect electoral results

  In the final stretch to Sunday's run off, Peruvian presidential candidates in a more conciliatory attitude promised respect for electoral results and rejected allegations of submission to “United States, Venezuela or Cuba”.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Ecuador denies any “flirting” with Chavez

  Ecuador's government said that the coming visit this Tuesday of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez will focus strictly on energy cooperation matters and that Quito is not flirting with any anti-United States block or axis.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  OPEC expected to maintain current output levels

  Venezuela's oil minister on Monday called for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which meets Thursday in Caracas, to consider cutting oil production. However his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates said he expects the cartel to maintain current output levels.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia withdraws troops from oil industry

  President Evo Morales announced he is lifting the military guard deployed at energy installations and oil fields around the country since May 1, when he nationalized Bolivia's natural gas industry.