Mercosur

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Arias confirmed as Costa Rica's elected president

  Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias was confirmed as Costa Rica's next president after his rival Otton Solis conceded defeat following a vote by vote manual recount of the closest and most contested election in the Central American country's history.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia's “re-founding” project firmly on track

  Bolivian Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill calling for a constitutional assembly and a regional autonomy referendum, two of President Evo Morales electoral promises on which the “new” Bolivia is to be “re-founded”.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Woman leads opinion polls in Peruvian election

  With just over a month for the Peruvian presidential election (April 9), the latest public opinion poll shows former Congress member Conservative Lourdes Flores leading with 25% vote intention followed by ultra nationalist Ollanta Humala five points behind.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile: Catches declined slightly, but exports increased

  Fish catches in Chile have dropped by 7 per cent last year in comparison with those of 2004, and are down from 5,404,501 tonnes to 5,018,298 tonnes, reported the National Fisheries Association (SONAPESCA), while exports increased by 19.1 per cent, earning USD 1,356 million in revenues between January and December 2005, vis-à-vis 1,138 million obtained in 2004.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula da Silva on state visit to UK

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva begins Tuesday a two days state visit to Great Britain where he plans to strongly lobby for an end to rich countries agriculture subsidies and support for the development of alternatives energies such as ethanol and biodiesel.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Gibraltar/UK talks on constitutional reform

  United Kingdom and Gibraltar are scheduled to meet next week in Lancaster House for the final meeting on constitutional reform for the Rock.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez threatens with unlimited re-election

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced he would promote constitutional changes allowing him to seek an unlimited number of terms in office.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine beef exports contracting

  Argentina exported last January 41.056 tons of beef valued in 114.9 million US dollars which represents a 5% volume drop and 27% contraction in value.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Pulp mills conflict: No Kirchner/ Vazquez summit

  A meeting between Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez and his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner, when they both coincide in Chile, to address the pulp mills conflict has not been contemplated according to Uruguayan Executive sources in Montevideo.

• Monday, March 6th 2006 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean Navy incorporates two refurbished frigates

  Two refurbished Dutch built frigates incorporated to the Chilean Navy surface fleet were officially received Monday in the port of Valparaíso.