Mercosur

• Friday, January 6th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Fujimori legally trapped in Chile but candidate in Peru

  A Chilean Supreme Court judge ordered Friday that former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori be held indefinitely pending Chile's consideration of an extradition request from the Peruvian government.

• Friday, January 6th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Closure of Venezuela's main bridge threatens economy

  Venezuela faces a serious economic and logistic challenge following the closure to all traffic of the bridge on the freeway linking Caracas to the country's main Caribbean seaport, its busiest air terminal and the beaches most visited by Caracas residents.

• Friday, January 6th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Bachelet manages to stay ahead in debate

  If the Chilean presidential run off were to take place this Sunday, the ruling coalition candidate Michelle Bachelet would win by a six points difference over conservative millionaire Sebastian Piñera, according to a public opinion poll organized by a team of experts from the Bachelet campaign team.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Two ice blocks drifting in South Atlantic

  Two ice blocks are drifting along the Argentine coast 350 kilometres off shore pushed by the Malvinas current, warned Wednesday the Argentine Coast Guard.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Controversy over strong Chilean peso persists

  Chile will only act to mitigate the appreciation of the local currency under exceptional situations because the current conditions surrounding the Real Exchange Rate, RER, of the Chilean peso are the most favourable in the last fifteen years, said Central Bank president Vittorio Corbo.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile's consumer inflation in 2005: 3.7%

  Chile's consumer prices index last December dropped 0.3% totalling an annual inflation in 2005 of 3,7%, in line with the Central Bank 2 to 4% target, but the highest since the 4.5% of the year 2000.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina's debt equivalent to 66% of GDP

  Cancelling the International Monetary Fund, IMF, debt does not represent a significant reduction in the overall debt of Argentina, although it does mean a contraction of international exposure.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean exports reach a record 39 billion US dollars

  Chilean exports advanced 35% in 2005 compared to the previous year totalling 39 billion US dollars according to the International Economic Relations Office, (Direcon). Foreign trade now is equivalent to 65% of Chile's GDP.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile: Bachelet leads but Piñera closing in

  Chilean presidential Socialist candidate Michelle Bachelet was leading her conservative opponent Sebastián Piñera by more than eight points a week and a half from the runoff, January 15, according to a poll published Wednesday.

• Thursday, January 5th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine Senator blasts Falklands fishing policy

  Tierra del Fuego Senator Mario Domingo Daniele pledged this week to renew his commitment in denouncing “the illegitimacy of the Malvinas fishing licences awarded by Great Britain”.