Mercosur

• Monday, January 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile's international reserves steady above 16 billion US dollars

  Chile's international reserves closed 2005 at 16.193 billion US dollars with a December increase of 938 million US dollars, reports the country's Central Bank.

• Monday, January 9th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Massive rally to close Bachelet's campaign in Chile

  Chilean ruling coalition presidential candidate Michelle Bachelet will be holding a massive final rally, ahead of Sunday's run off, with full support from local and Spanish artists who have promised to sing and entertain a crowd estimated in over 100.000.

• Sunday, January 8th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Bolivian elected president woos China

  Bolivian elected president Evo Morales began Sunday his visit to China declaring himself a great admirer of Mao Zedong and his “proletarian revolution” but also urged Chinese businesses to invest in key sectors of the Bolivian economy, including natural gas and oil.

• Sunday, January 8th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  New electoral timetable in volatile Haiti

  The first round of presidential and parliament elections in Haiti has been reprogrammed for February 7, revealed Sunday Chilean diplomat Juan Gabriel Valdes who is the United Nations envoy to the Caribbean country immersed in violent political turmoil.

• Sunday, January 8th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  Japanese whaler rams Greenpeace vessel in Antarctica

  Greenpeace accused Sunday the Japanese whaling vessel Nisshin Maru of deliberately ramming its boat the Arctic Sunrise, in Antarctic waters before steaming off at high speed.

• Saturday, January 7th 2006 - 20:00 UTC

  GOL Launches Flights to Montevideo

  Brazil's low-cost, low-fare airline, began today operating flights to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay

• 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.