Mercosur

• Monday, August 23rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil denies financial support for Varig.

  The Brazilian government is not considering any form of capital injection to the country's flag carrier Varig, according to Finance Minister Antonio Palocci.

• Monday, August 23rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Rio Group can't agree on Cuba's incorporation.

  The Brazilian proposal to incorporate Cuba to the Rio Group, considered a first step towards the island's regime integration to the Organization of American States, OAS, lacked sufficient consensus since several countries considered the issue “highly sensitive” and further consultations were needed.

• Monday, August 23rd 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Charter flights: Bielsa will “attempt a solution”

  Argentine diplomatic sources quoted this Monday in the Buenos Aires press said Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa will “attempt to find a solution” to the charter flights from the continent to the Falkland Islands dispute when he meets Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in New York early September.

• Saturday, August 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF recommendations to Argentina and Europe

  International Monetary Fund, IMF, Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato who is scheduled to visit several Mercosur members next month showed a contemplative attitude towards Argentina, defended IMF crisis role and said Europe was not contributing to world growth as it should.

• Saturday, August 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Successful oil licencing in Brazil

  Brazil's federal owned energy company Petrobras and 18 other companies have pledged to invest the equivalent of 704 million US dollars in up to six years to explore the 154 blocks (39,657 square kilometers) they won in the sixth hydrocarbon licensing round held this week, Brazil's hydrocarbons regulator Agencia Nacional de Petroleo ANP announced.

• Saturday, August 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Judge questions Pinochet about hidden millions

  A Chilean judge has questioned Augusto Pinochet, the former dictator who has escaped prosecution on atrocities charges but is now facing corruption allegations, about millions of dollars he kept hidden in secret U.S. bank accounts, judiciary officials said Friday.

• Friday, August 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean meat exports reach 171 million US dollars.

  Chilean meat exports during the first half of 2004 represented 171 million US dollars, 61,2% increase over the same period in 2003.

• Friday, August 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Three million Chileans below poverty line.

  At the end of 2003, almost three million Chileans, 18,8% of the population were below the poverty line according to the latest socio-economic characterization poll which was released this Thursday in Santiago.

• Friday, August 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  UN sponsors one place, one only name.

  The United Nations has undertaken the mission of standardizing world's places names and is working on two 150 pages papers to be distributed next year to all governments.

• Thursday, August 19th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF Managing Director visits South America.

  The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Rodrigo de Rato, will be travelling to South America to participate in the 11th Finance Ministers' Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which will take place in Santiago, Chile on September 1-3, 2004.