Mercosur

• Tuesday, April 26th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Ecuador's new ruler under strong diplomatic pressure

  Doubts about the legitimacy and future steps of Ecuador's new administration were confirmed Monday by the European Union statement recognizing “the new government, and the previous government”, until the political and social situation of the country “returns to normal”.

• Tuesday, April 26th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  A long agenda awaits Rice in Brazil

  United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives Tuesday in Brasilia for the first leg of a brief tour of the increasingly volatile Latinamerica that also includes Chile, Colombia and El Salvador.

• Tuesday, April 26th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Greenspan insists with floatation of Chinese currency

  Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said China is harming its future by not allowing its currency, currently fixed to the US dollar, to float.

• Tuesday, April 26th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil: Saudi Arabia to produce more.

  Crude prices fell yesterday as the world's leading exporter Saudi Arabia said it could quickly bring online spare production capacity if buyers needed more oil.

• Tuesday, April 26th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: Beef exports fall as livestock prices rise

  The rise in livestock prices during the last year resulted in a drop in beef exports, which in the first quarter of 2005 posted a 5 percent decrease from 2004, according to the ABC Beef Exporters Chamber.

• Monday, April 25th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  “Condy” Rice in the middle of OAS post courting

  United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, “Condy”, visit this week to Chile for a conference on democracy is anticipated to become a lobbying competition for the election of Organization of American States Secretary General, a strongly disputed post which has virtually split the hemisphere.

• Monday, April 25th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Almost a quarter of Uruguay's population is poor

  Following almost five years of economic stagnation and a financial crisis which put the banking system on the verge of collapse, Uruguay has an estimated 870,000 people (24,4%) out of a population of 3,4 million catalogued as poor in the country.

• Monday, April 25th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  New Ecuador government struggles for legitimacy

  Ecuador's new Foreign Minister Antonio Parra Gil said Sunday that ousted President Lucio Gutierrez was allowed to leave the country on the understanding he could be extradited to face any charges brought against him.

• Monday, April 25th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Brit to trial for incident with Argentine flag

  An Argentine appeals court ratified the indictment of a British tourist accused of theft and “abusing national symbols” for which he will face an oral and public trial.

• Monday, April 25th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  IADB forecasts sustained growth in 2005/06

  Latinamerica is forecasted to expand strongly this year supported by the sound policies implemented in the region, forecasted Inter American Development Bank Enrique Iglesias during a forum in Holland.