Mercosur

• Tuesday, January 18th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  A lady president for Chile.

  Another woman has been nominated as pre-candidate for the Chilean presidential elections scheduled for next December.

• Tuesday, January 18th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Tsunami scare stampede in Chile kills one

  A false alarm about an imminent tsunami approaching the southern coast of Chile which developed into an early Monday morning panic causing the death of a woman and several injured was described by the country“ Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza as a ”macabre joke”.

• Monday, January 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Chavez wants Uribe to admit crime

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday invited his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, to personally discuss the case of guerrilla leader Rodrigo Granda and try to end a diplomatic crisis.

• Monday, January 17th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Talks with EU trade commissioner Caribbean ministers meet in Guyana

  Facing the prospect of cuts in the price Europe pays for Caribbean sugar and bananas, Caribbean Community trade ministers met with the European Union trade commissioner in Guyana on Thursday.

• Sunday, January 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazilian inflation 7,6%

  Inflation in Brazil reached 7,6% last year compared to 9,3% in 2003 according to the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE.

• Sunday, January 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Petrobras production in 2004 dropped 3,2%

  Petrobras, the Brazilian government owned oil consortium admitted its oil extraction in 2004 dropped 3,2% compared to 2003.

• Sunday, January 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela supports Insulza for OAS

  Venezuela officially announced it supports Chilean Minister of Interior Jose Miguel Insulza as candidate for the post of Secretary General of the Organization of American States, OAS.

• Sunday, January 16th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil's foreign trade policy confronts ministers

  Brazilian Trade and Development Minister Luiz Fenando Furlan strong criticism of the country's current financial, monetary and Mercosur policies were openly applauded by Brazilian industry and exporters but caused great irritation inside President Lula da Silva administration.

• Saturday, January 15th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Venezuela & Colombia suspends bilateral relations

  President Hugo Chavez on Friday demanded that Colombia apologize for violating Venezuela's sovereignty and announced that until Bogota makes amends all agreements and bilateral affairs will be frozen.

• Saturday, January 15th 2005 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina seeks to ease creditor concerns

  Argentina's government has jumped to the defence of a so-called “most-favoured-creditor” clause in its $100bn debt offer after mounting concern that it contained an important loophole.