Mercosur

• Sunday, December 11th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuelan “accessibly” priced oil for Paraguay

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last Saturday added Paraguay to its “accessible” energy supply scheme which will entitle the landlocked South American Mercosur member to defer 25% payment of the oil bill.

• Saturday, December 10th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina authorizes high seas squid catching

  The Argentine Fisheries Federal Council authorized high seas licenced vessels to catch Illex squid outside the 200 miles Exclusive Economic Zone, EEZ.

• Saturday, December 10th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  FAO warns about trade reform impact on the poor

  Just a couple of days ahead next week's make-or-break World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong, where a final push will be made to reach an agreement to liberalize agricultural trade, the FAO warned that the benefits of trade reform may not reach the poor unless urgent complementary policies and investments are made.

• Saturday, December 10th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela calls for a more “political” Mercos

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez officially signed Friday in Montevideo, Uruguay, the incorporation of his country as a Mercosur “full member” and called for a more “political” block with a greater input of strategic planning.

• Friday, December 9th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Drastic privatization of Chinese companies

  The Chinese private sector expanded 50% between 2001 and 2004 when the number of private companies reached 1.9 million according to a release this week from the Chinese Statistics Office.

• Friday, December 9th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile: Inflation contracts but interest rates are up

  The strong drop in fuel prices helped contract Chile's November consumer prices index by 0,2%, with similar prospects extending to December according to the latest monthly release from the country's Central Bank.

• Friday, December 9th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Peru announces free trade agreement with United States

  Peru announced Wednesday the signing of a free trade agreement with United States, which President Alejandro Toledo described as “great news but also a great challenge”.

• Friday, December 9th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean Navy receives first of two state of the art submarines

  The Chilean Navy brand new submarine “O'Higgins” built by a French-Spanish consortium is scheduled to arrive in Valparaíso Friday.

• Friday, December 9th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Poll confirms runoff in Chile's presidential election

  The Chilean ruling coalition presidential candidate Michelle Bachelet leads comfortably in the latest public opinion poll released Thursday, 48 hours before Sunday's vote.

• Friday, December 9th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Latinamericans most skeptical about corruption

  Latin Americans are the people more inclined to view their countries' institutions and politics as corrupt, according to a Gallup survey commissioned by the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.