Mercosur

• Thursday, May 6th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine inflation modest but?

  Consumer prices in Argentina during April increased 0,9%, the highest since March 2003, accumulating 2% in the first four months of 2004, according to the Statistics and Census Institute.

• Thursday, May 6th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay consumer prices climb 1,23% in April

  Consumer prices in Uruguay during April advanced 1,23% reaching 4,09% in the first four months of 2004. The Uruguayan Statistics Institute indicated that the increase was mainly because of vegetable and fruit prices influenced by a strong summer drought and the incoming winter fashion in Clothing.

• Wednesday, May 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed keeps rate unchanged at 1%

  The Open Market Committee of the United States Federal Reserve decided this Tuesday to keep the Federal funds rate unchanged at 1%.

• Wednesday, May 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile: Breaking News.

  Headlines:
  Inflation remains below one digit in Chile; Neo-Nazi march in Santiago banned; More Chilean troops to Haiti.

• Wednesday, May 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Growing number of Peruvians long for Fujimori

  A majority of Peruvians 88,6%, disapprove President Alejandro Toledo's administration and 20,2% said they would vote for former president Alberto Fujimori if elections were held now, according to an opinion poll by the Peruvian Market Research Company, CPI published this week in Lima's press.

• Wednesday, May 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Recall referendum in Venezuela

  The contentious process leading to a recall referendum on Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez mandate advanced another step. Jorge Rodriguez, one of the five members of the independent National Electoral Council, CNE, told the press in Caracas this Tuesday that the training of staff for the task of ratifying or annulling signatures has begun.

• Wednesday, May 5th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina's tax receipts confirms recovery

  Argentine authorities were on Monday expected to confirm the country's surging economic recovery by announcing that April tax receipts grew by 30 per cent compared with a year ago.

• Tuesday, May 4th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Pta. Arenas season: 64 cruise calls and 41,980 visitors

  The Punta Arenas port authorities (Empresa Portuaria Austral) described the last cruise season that concluded April 17 as a great success with 64 calls from foreign vessels and 30 from the local “Mare Australis”. Seventeen of the calls were during January and February, the months of most activity.

• Tuesday, May 4th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile has trade access to 49% of world's GDP

  The expansion of the European Union means Chile now has 38 free trade agreements, second only to Mexico and ahead of Israel.

• Tuesday, May 4th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina launches plan to save energy

  Argentina last weekend launched a plan to reduce domestic energy consumption in an effort to confront the country's deepening energy crisis. The government also confirmed that in the coming days it will be announcing an “integral energy plan” to “resolve once and for all Argentina's energy problems”.