Mercosur

• Wednesday, November 10th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Chinese president on official trip to Latin America.

  Chinese President Hu Jintao embarked Wednesday on a two-week tour of Latin America that includes stops in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Cuba, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Castro and Chavez exchange compliments.

  The official Cuban media called Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's surprise visit to his friend and colleague Fidel Castro “an extraordinary and generous” fraternity gesture.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  “Chavitos”, Cuba's new convertible currency

  The Cuban Convertible Peso, CUC, or “chavitos” as they are called locally became effective this Monday substituting the widely circulated U.S. dollar, with the Central Bank stating that control over the nation's money circulation underlines sovereignty and helps order money liquidity.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Bush confirms official visit to Chile.

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos confirmed that recently re-elected president George Walker Bush will be making an official state visit to Chile following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, scheduled November 19 in Santiago.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Mercosur ministers address animal and plant health

  Mercosur Agriculture ministers are meeting in Santiago to consider sanitary policies in the framework of the Agriculture Council of the South or CAS.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  “Cruzex” air exercise in northeast Brazil

  A joint air exercise with the participation of Air Forces from several South American countries, South Africa and France began this Monday in the northeast of Brazil.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Benetton donates land for Mapuche use in Patagonia.

  Details of the donation still have to be worked out, but Benetton said in a statement that Pérez Esquivel can make use of the land as he deems appropriate.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  President Kirchner re-elected?

  Argentina is still one year away from midterm elections, but some leading politicians are already thinking about the presidential vote in 2007 and mentioning President Néstor Kirchner as a good candidate for re-election.

• Tuesday, November 9th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Lan Chile increases fares 7%.

  Beginning this Wednesday Lan Chile's domestic fares will increase 7%, the second time in the last three months reports La Prensa Austral from Punta Arenas.

• Monday, November 8th 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Cruise season begins in Buenos Aires

  “Saga Pearl” and “Amsterdam” with 1,556 tourists officially inaugurated the 2004/05 cruise season in Buenos Aires which according to Argentine sources will represent over 53,000 visitors.