Mercosur

• Friday, January 2nd 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  US-Chile free trade treaty becomes effective.

  January first the free trade agreement between United States and Chile became effective, an agreement that hopefully will double Chilean exports to the US in the coming six years.

• Friday, January 2nd 2004 - 20:00 UTC

  Fidel Castro celebrates 45 years of “struggle”

  The Cuban regime celebrated January first the 45th anniversary of Fidel Castro's revolution with a New Year's message calling on citizens to prepare for yet another year of “struggle”.

• Monday, December 29th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Antartica tourist flights from Ushuaia.

  Beginning January an Argentine company will be organizing Antarctic air tours leaving from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.

• Monday, December 29th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Berger Wins Guatemala Run-Off Election.

  A pro-business former mayor of the Guatemalan capital was elected president over a center-left engineer who billed himself as the candidate of the poor in a runoff election marred by low voter turnout.

• Saturday, December 27th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile confirms optimistic economic forecast.

  The Chilean government on Friday confirmed its optimistic economic forecast for next year, with projected GDP growth of nearly 5 percent.

• Saturday, December 27th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Mad Cow Likely to Hurt U.S. Beef Industry.

  Though officials haven't yet estimated the financial fallout from the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, the Bush administration told Congress in 2001 that the beef industry could lose $15 billion.

• Friday, December 26th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Xmas spending recovers in Argentina

  Argentines returned to stores this Christmas season after two years when holiday spending was negligible amid an economic depression, a report released Thursday indicated.

• Thursday, December 25th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Pope asks Christ to deliver mankind from war and terrorism.

  Pope John Paul II asked Christ to deliver mankind from the armed conflicts that are tearing apart entire regions of the world and the plague of terrorism.

• Wednesday, December 24th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Chilean administration recovers support.

  The Chilean administration of President Ricardo Lagos has a 47% public opinion support, but 32% still express disapproval, according to the latest poll made public this week by the prestigious “Fundación Futuro” from Santiago.

• Wednesday, December 24th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  “Mad cow” in US brings hope to organic producers

  The outbreak of the first “mad cow” case in the United States could force a rise of beef prices in the international market benefiting organic producing countries such as Uruguay and Argentina.