Mercosur

• Wednesday, March 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: “crisis manageable” and 220 volts restored

  With help from Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela the Argentine Electricity Wholesale Market Agency, Cammesa, ordered this Tuesday the resumption of 220 volts tension in the national grid, 24 hours after having decided a 5% drop, to 209 volts, to help confront the country's growing energy shortage.

• Wednesday, March 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Menem requests temporary residence in Chile

  Former Argentine president Carlos Menem confirmed he had applied for temporary residence in Chile but promised he will be visiting Argentina “very soon” to meet his grandson.

• Wednesday, March 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Malvinas Vigil in Tierra del Fuego with President Kirchner

  Argentine president Nestor Kirchner will be present in the Malvinas War Veterans vigil that is annually commemorated in Rio Grande and Ushuaia on April1 and 2, was officially announced by Tierra del Fuego governor's office.

• Wednesday, March 31st 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  President Lula's mounting troubles

  “My gentlemen, don't expect more from me more than from a president of the republic; I must honour the Constitution, I don't have God's powers, I'm no miracle maker”, remarked Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who has seen his personal standing and his administration's tumble in public opinion polls with mounting criticisms from political friends and foes.

• Tuesday, March 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina lowers tension to face energy crisis

  Argentina's Energy Secretariat ordered this Monday a 5% tension reduction in the supply of electricity, from 220 to 209 volts, the first attempt to save energy without having to resort to programmed blackouts.

• Tuesday, March 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Australia to sell toothfish seized onboard Maya V

  The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is to sell the catch of Patagonian toothfish seized from the Uruguayan flagged longliner Maya V allegedly caught fishing illegally in the country's waters.

• Tuesday, March 30th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Majority of Maya V crew may be free this week

  It is too early to know when the Uruguayan crew of the Maya V will return home, the Uruguayan Consulate said yesterday, but hopefully for the majority matters will be resolved this week.

• Monday, March 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Mediterranean flies in Chilean fruit.

  The Chilean Agriculture and Livestock (sanitary) Service confirmed the intensification of monitoring and controls following the discovery of several Mediterranean flies, (ceratitis capitata) in the urban area of Calle Larga in the country's Fifth region.

• Monday, March 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Credit assistance for Argentina.

  Argentina will be signing in the coming months a five years 5 billion US dollars loan with the Interamerian Development Bank, IDB and is negotiating a similar credit with the World Bank, according to Argentine Economy Ministry sources in Peru.

• Monday, March 29th 2004 - 21:00 UTC

  Ms. Krueger and the Argentine collapse.

  The Argentine meltdown is the most obvious and recent example of how economic policies failures can be catastrophic said International Monetary Fund's Acting Managing Director Anne Krueger, who estimated that the 2001 crisis could have been softened by bolder reforms in the nineties.