Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 24th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Aerolineas flies the flag and cautions Lan Chile

  “We expect Lan Chile to be fully committed to Argentina and not consider the country as simply another market”, cautioned Aerolineas Argentinas CEO Antonio Mata who drastically marked the competing rules for the incoming airline during an interview with the Buenos Aires press.

• Tuesday, May 24th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Federal Fisheries Council orders squid season closure on 28 May

  Argentina_The Federal Fisheries Council (CFP) will ask the Enforcement Authority to proceed with the closure of the squid (Illex argentinus) fishery south of parallel 42º 15' S as of next 28 May.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Punta Arenas: Hot News

  Headlines:
  ENAP closes five oil rigs in Magellan Strait; Punta Arenas maritime agents disagree with peso billing.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner admits obstacles to Mercosur

  Mercosur has “deep asymmetries” and until they are not solved, “the regional block will not have the viability of other integration processes”, said Argentine president Nestor Kirchner who next May 25 commemorates his second year in office.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez threatens to cut relations with Washington

  President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Venezuela would break relations with the United States if Washington did not extradite “assassin and terrorist” Luis Posada Carriles to Caracas who was arrested last Tuesday in Miami.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Senate calls Bielsa to discuss “Malvinas” policy

  Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa has been invited to the Senate next Tuesday to inform on Malvinas policy and the Kirchner administration's (late) reaction to the inclusion of South Atlantic islands in the European Union constitution.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Antuco tragedy opens debate on professional army

  As blizzards cleared Chile awoke to the full scale of army incompetence that triggered a tragedy in the Andes. Ill-equipped 21 recruits marched to their death, with 24 still missing in the snow-capped Andes.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Nuclear cooperation: Brazil denies Venezuelan approach

  Brazil so far has not received any proposal from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez regarding nuclear cooperation between the two nations, but it will study any such proposal if and when it receives one.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivia faced with a dead alley

  Bolivia faces a renewed week of political instability as protesters take to the streets to demand more state control over the country's vast reserves of natural gas and President Carlos Mesa warned he would step down if violence erupts.

• Monday, May 23rd 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Spain defends EU policy towards Cuba

  Spain defended Monday in Brussels the European Union's recent rapprochement with Cuba arguing that despite setbacks such as last week's expelling of several European legislators, the situation is better than before the thaw.