Mercosur

• Wednesday, February 2nd 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Kirchner-Chavez strengthen bilateral cooperation.

  Argentina and Venezuela underlined Tuesday in Buenos Aires that regional integration and bilateral cooperation are the paths that will lead the great “South American community” away from backwardness and poverty.

• Tuesday, February 1st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Punta Arenas: Concern with growing unemployment.

  The Punta Arenas Production and Commerce Confederation (CPC) described the latest report on jobs and unemployment in Magallanes Region as “worrisome”.

• Tuesday, February 1st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil and US ready to resume FTAA talks.

  Representatives from United States and Brazil revealed that they were exploring ways to re-launch the stalled talks for the creation of a Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA.

• Tuesday, February 1st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Exploratory drilling for gas in Tierra del Fuego next March.

  Chile's government owned oil company, Enap, is preparing tender conditions for drilling an exploratory well in Lake Mercedes basin, Tierra del Fuego, reports Punta Arenas press.

• Tuesday, February 1st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Test period for EU-Cuban diplomatic relations.

  The European Union decided this week to temporarily lift all diplomatic sanctions imposed on Cuba since June 2003 and establish a “constructive” dialogue with Havana authorities, announced Luxemburg's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean Asselborn.

• Monday, January 31st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chubut processing plants have exhausted hake quota.

  Members from the Chamber of Fisheries And Fresh Fish Processing Companies of the Gulf of San Jorge (CAEPPEFRE) in Argentine Patagonia have warned that all fresh fish vessels operating out of the Port of Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut province, have already exhausted the hake (Merluccius hubbsi) quota allocated by the federal government in early January 2005.

• Monday, January 31st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez proclaims “Socialism is not dead”

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez proclaimed to activists at the World Social Forum Sunday in Brazil, that “socialism is not dead” and announced an “agrarian revolution” in his country with the seizure of 20 million hectares (49.3 million acres).

• Monday, January 31st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  41% of Brazilians overweight.

  More Brazilians die each year from obesity health related problems than from malnutrition, reported Sunday O Globo newspaper in Rio do Janeiro.

• Monday, January 31st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  OPEC leaves production level unchanged.

  The Organization of Oil Producing and Export Countries, OPEC meeting in Vienna Sunday agreed to keep oil output levels unchanged at 27 million barrels per day in spite of a 40% increase in crude prices during the last twelve months.

• Monday, January 31st 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Colombia-Venezuela is officially over.

  Colombia and Venezuela announced in an agreed statement that the crisis over the capture of a guerrilla commander is over and anticipated a presidential summit for next February 3.