Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  SOS message in a bottle saves 88 castaways

  Eighty-eight castaways adrift for nine days at sea after immigrant smugglers abandoned them to their fate were rescued on the weekend off Costa Rica's Pacific coast after a fisherman pulled from the ocean a bottle containing a desperate message for help written by one of the group.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Bush and Insulza coordinate OAS assembly

  One of the first activities of the newly nominated Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza was to visit United States President George W. Bush in the White House to discuss ways of strengthening democracy and promoting development in Latin America.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Repsol-YPF freezes investment in Bolivia's oil industry

  Repsol YPF has shelved plans to export Bolivian natural gas to the United States through the Pacific LNG consortium informed Tuesday the president of the Spanish-Argentine energy corporation.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez promises “Socialism”, but not the “Cuban model”

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denied Tuesday he was planning a blue print of the Cuban model but confirmed his conviction that Socialism is the only way to construct a fair society of equals.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia's big business calls for Mesa's resignation

  The leading private sector organization in Bolivia called on President Carlos Mesa to resign given the magnitude of protests in La Paz which have virtually paralyzed his administration and Congress.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Patagonia: magic word for Chilean tourism industry

  Patagonia has become a magic word for the Chilean tourism industry since it's the main attraction for overseas travellers, revealed Miguel Angel Muñoz head of the Chilean regional Tourism Office in Magallanes.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile-China agree “copper strategic alliance”

  Chile and China agreed the creation of Joint Corporation to exploit Chilean copper and so ensuring a steady supply to China for the next fifteen years with an initial financial support of 550 million US dollars which could reach 2 billion US dollars.

• Tuesday, May 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  More Royal Navy frigates for Chile

  The strong international price of copper for the second year running has bolstered Chile's coffers and a percentage of that additional income is earmarked for military equipment purchases including several Royal Navy frigates, German Leopard tanks and refurbished F-16 fighters.

• Monday, May 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Guatemala lobbies for OAS mediation in Belize

  Guatemala will officially request the Organization of American States, OAS, to reactivate its mediation in the territorial dispute between Guatemala and the former Central America British Overseas Territory Belize, (British Honduras).

• Monday, May 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil plans to build seven nuclear power plants

  Brazil has plans to build seven nuclear power plants reported Sunday the Sao Paulo press quoting government officials.