Mercosur

• Wednesday, July 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean leader: 'No one in Chile is above the law'.

  Chile's President Ricardo Lagos said Tuesday that no one in the country is above the law when asked whether former dictator Augusto Pinochet should face prosecution for abuses during his 17-year rule.

• Wednesday, July 21st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Democratic security is restoring Colombia's independence.

  Colombian president Alvaro Uribe said Tuesday his “democratic security” policy, which includes escalated warfare against leftist rebels, is restoring to the nation the independence it lost to insurgency, corruption and poverty.

• Tuesday, July 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  EU-Mercosur round in Brussels.

  The European Union and Mercosur delegates will attempt this week in Brussels to cut differences and advance in a free trade agreement that has been elusive since 1999. The agreed timetable for reaching an understanding is next October.

• Tuesday, July 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Lloyds Bank sell assets in Argentina.

  Lloyds Bank Argentina has reached an agreement with Patagonia Sudameris Bank for the transfer of local operations, said a spokesperson for the British bank that a few months ago announced its decision to abandon Argentina.

• Tuesday, July 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Aeolic energy for gasoline station.

  Under the name of “El Patagón”, the Brazilian oil company Petrobras inaugurated this weekend the first gasoline station in Patagonia that functions with a combination of conventional and Aeolic (wind) energy.

• Tuesday, July 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Pinochet US bank accounts: Bush promises “full investigation”.

  US President George W. Bush said this Monday that the US Senate will deliver a “full investigation” on the Riggs Bank alleged cover up operations with funds and accounts belonging to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

• Tuesday, July 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  President Lagos rejects “gas for sea” proposal.

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos said Chile is prepared to negotiate with Bolivia future gas projects following the massive support for his Bolivian counterpart Carlos Mesa energy policy in last Sunday's referendum. However the Chilean president insisted that no “sovereign” access to the Pacific Ocean is on the negotiation table.

• Tuesday, July 20th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Relief for Repsol-YPF Bolivian project.

  Sunday's referendum in Bolivia which opened the way for the country's export of natural gas has come as a relief to Repsol-YPF, one of several corporations involved in a massive 6 billion US dollars ambitious plan to commercialize the country's vast hydrocarbon resources.

• Monday, July 19th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  How to live on 596 US dollars monthly.

  Eight out of ten Brazilian families have difficulties paying their bills and stretching earnings to reach the end of the month according to a report from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE.

• Monday, July 19th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chaos and complaints against Lan.

  Punta Arenas airport suffered two days of chaos when hundreds of Lan passengers were left stranded and protesting following delays in arrivals and departures because of adverse climate conditions.