Mercosur

• Tuesday, March 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Peruvian presidential campaign flares but still undecided

  With less than two weeks to the April 9 election Peruvian ultra nationalist presidential candidate Ollanta Humala remains ahead in the first round but looks like having problems in a hypothetical run off with runner up Social Christian Lourdes Flores.

• Tuesday, March 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Mantega Brazil new finance minister

  Brazil's new Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Monday that the government's conservative economic policies will not change and called its primary budget surplus target “sacred.”

• Tuesday, March 28th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed raises interest rates 25 points to 4.75%

  The United States Federal Reserve meeting for the first time under Chairman Ben Bernanke raised interest rates for the fifteenth time by 25 points to 4.75%.

• Monday, March 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bachelet: joining Mercosur would be “back stepping”

  The recently inaugurated Chilean president Michelle Bachelet said that for Chile to become a full member of Mercosur would mean “back stepping”.

• Monday, March 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chileans reject relinquishing territory to Bolivia

  Most Chileans reject relinquishing sovereignty over Bolivia's former coastal region, despite La Paz's demand for renewed sea access, according to a survey published Sunday by the daily La Tercera.

• Monday, March 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Finally Argentine ? Uruguayan summit is confirm

  The Finnish firm Botnia yesterday announced it would stop the construction of a paper pulp mill in the Uruguayan town of Fray Bentos for “up to 90 days,” a decision that clears the way for a meeting between Presidents Néstor Kirchner of Argentina and Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay on Wednesday.

• Monday, March 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Straw announces new Constitution for Gibraltar

  British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced Monday in the House of Commons the successful conclusion of the Gibraltar Constitutional negotiations on Friday March 17.

• Monday, March 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean government halves gasoline hike

  Chilean government halves gasoline hike.
  Economy forecasted to surge 6% in 2006

• Monday, March 27th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Corruption ousts another close aide of President Lula

  Brazil's Finance Minister Antonio Palocci, 45, architect of the government's orthodox market policies stepped down on Monday as a corruption scandal swelled around him.

• Sunday, March 26th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Massive march to protest US migratory reform

  Over 200.000 people congregated in downtown Los Angeles Friday to request an amnesty for illegal immigrants and to protest the “racism” of a migratory reform currently under consideration by the United States Congress.