Mercosur

• Thursday, March 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica 2005 job creation: “moderate optimism”

  The International Labour Organization, ILO, expressed “moderate optimism” regarding the employment situation in Latinamerica on considering the region's economic growth prospects.

• Thursday, March 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur, Arab Presidential Summit to take place in May

  The South American and Arab countries Presidential Summit to take place in May in Brazil seeks to conquer markets without “scandalous subsidies in farming products” -as is the case in the US and the EU, ? according to the head of the bloc's representative commission, Eduardo Duhalde.

• Thursday, March 31st 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine defaulted bonds exchange delayed

  Argentina decided Thursday to postpone its scheduled April 1 exchange of defaulted bonds waiting for New York court ruling regarding frozen securities included in the operation.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  La Nacion alerts about squid poaching.

  The South Atlantic Illex squid fishery is increasingly threatened by tens of jiggers from all over the world, many of them waiting just outside the 200 miles Argentine EEZ, ready to break in and poach on the world's 80% reserve of the species, highlights Buenos Aires daily La Nacion in a strong editorial condemning illegal, undocumented, unregulated fishing.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Spanish military sales to Venezuela: “nothing to fear”

  Spain's president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Tuesday in Venezuela that United States has nothing to fear from the sale of Spanish military vessels and aircraft to President Hugo Chavez administration.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Investors' confidence in Argentina “will take time”

  The absence of a strong Judiciary branch upholding the law together with the lack of consolidated political parties unable to free themselves from permanent internal bickering is Argentina's main problem argues Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Venezuela increases proven oil reserves.

  Venezuela's state-run oil company increased its proven oil reserves by 192 million barrels after drilling at two fields in eastern Venezuela, the company said in a statement this week.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  World fisheries beware: China is coming

  China is fast becoming a formidable sea power of the other marine variety. It doesn't yet have monstrous aircraft carriers capable of delivering awesome fire power in the world's seven seas, but there is a huge fleet of small fishing trawlers flying Chinese flags that sail the ocean blue.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine bonds unfrozen but held for appeal

  A New York federal judge on Tuesday unblocked freezes put on up to $7 billion in defaulted Argentine bonds but then agreed to keep the freezes in place while creditors appealed the ruling.

• Wednesday, March 30th 2005 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur “surprised” by EU uncompromising stance

  Mercosur and European Union talks seem to have stalled again following an unsuccessful meeting in Brussels during March, according to the South American block diplomatic sources.