Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Lula confirms conservative economic policy

  Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appealed to the business community not to expect “magic plans” to help reactivate the stagnant Brazilian economy which in 2003 contracted 0,2% for the first time in eleven years.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  President Kirchner still going strong

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner public opinion support stands at 73%, eleven points less than in April, according to the latest poll from Ipsos-Mora & Araujo published in this Sunday's edition of La Nacion.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  US April inflation 0,2% but?

  United States consumer prices rose 0,2% last April, lower than the 0,5% of March and below the 0,3% expected by market forces, but there are growing concerns about inflation as the economy rapidly begins to pick up.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  China's economy overheated economy spurs inflation

  China's annual consumer prices index reached a seven year high in April, 3,8% driven mainly by increases in food costs according to the latest report from the country's Statistics office.

• Monday, May 17th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Gas cuts hit Punta Arenas main industry

  Chile' Energy Commission reported this Sunday that Argentina notified of further cuts in the supply of natural gas which will now affect the extreme south of the country Magallanes Region, and central Chile mostly in Santiago.

• Friday, May 14th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Record support for Chilean President Lagos.

  The administration of Chilean President Ricardo Lagos recorded during April its highest support since taking office in 2000, 61%, which is also fourteen points above the latest reading of December 2003, according to the Fundacion Futuro opinion poll released this week.

• Friday, May 14th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Collision and oil spill in Magellan Strait

  Three crewmembers injured and a five nautical miles fuel spill has been reported following the collision between a French flagged tanker and a local high seas tug in the narrowest part of the Magellan strait early Wednesday morning.

• Thursday, May 13th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  NYT questions Brazil's commitment to free press

  The New York Times questioned Brazil's commitment to freedom of the press Wednesday in the event Brasilia expels a correspondent whose visa was revoked.

• Thursday, May 13th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Peru promises to defeat any terrorist resurgence

  The Peruvian government believes remnant elements from the Shining Path guerrilla-terrorist organization are behind the uprising in the southern city of Ilave where the mayor was mob-lynched by a furious crowd in the main square a few weeks ago, according to reports in the main newspapers of Lima.

• Thursday, May 13th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Cepal lowers growth estimates

  The Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, Cepal, lowered the region's growth prospects for this year from 4 to 3,8%, because of the oil crisis.