Mercosur

• 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.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Mexico's presidential candidates neck to neck

  The latest presidential public opinion poll in the run-up to Mexico's July 2 elections shows the populist and conservative candidates in a virtual tie, with the third contender not far behind.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Memorial Day: combat continues

  President George W. Bush, delivering a Memorial Day message surrounded by the graves of thousands of military dead, said yesterday that the United States must continue combating terrorism in the name of those who have already given their life in the cause.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  LatAm trade could reach US$90 billion

  Trade among the twelve member nations of the Latin American Association (ALADI) could reach 90 billion pesos this year, 15.5 percent more than in the previous fiscal year, according to a report published by the association last week in Montevideo.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Booming black market for stolen copper

  A black market for stolen copper cables has begun to flourish throughout Chile in recent months as delinquents attempt to cash in on the commodity's record high prices.

• Tuesday, May 30th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina's Kirchner blasts defenders of military regime

  President Nestor Kirchner said at Monday's Army Day ceremonies here that his government will not tolerate military personnel who act as apologists for the “state terrorism” inflicted on Argentina by the 1976-1983 dictatorship.