Mercosur

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

  Record low inflation in the US.

  The United States consumer price index dropped 0,2% last November bringing the annual rate of underlying inflation to 1,1%, the lowest since 1966, according to the latest Commerce Department release.

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

  US-Central America free trade treaty

  Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua reached this week a free trade agreement with the United States, reported the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington.

• Friday, December 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Lula defies economic critics with policy defence.

  Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a resounding defence on Thursday of orthodox economic policies during his first year as Brazil's president, in spite of the worst performance of the economy in at least five years.

• Friday, December 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentina attacks IMF loan delay

  Néstor Kirchner, Argentina's president, yesterday attacked the International Monetary Fund for the second time in a week after the IMF suggested it would postpone a $330m (?268m, £188m) disbursement that had been expected before Christmas.

• Friday, December 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  With no WTO agreement, FTAA is limited

  Without advances in multilateral negotiations, the Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, will not progress forecasted the president of the World Trade Organization General Council Ambassador Carlos Pérez del Castillo.

• Friday, December 19th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Diplomatic rift between Argentina and Uruguay

  Argentine officials complained bitterly to Uruguay over the posting in Argentina of a military attaché who is accused of human rights abuses during the country's eleven years military dictatorship.

• Thursday, December 18th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Argentine Senate bribes case keeps expanding

  The former Argentine Senate official who last week blew the top of the Senate bribes scandal submitted as evidence an alleged “receipt” from one of the accused legislators.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Stigltiz: beware of FTAA

  Economy Nobel Prize Joseph Stiglitz recommended Argentine president Nestor Kirchner not to subscribe the United States sponsored Free Trade Association of the Americas, FTAA, and praised the current Argentine sovereign debt negotiation process with creditors.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  Kirchner, Latinamerican man of the year

  Argentine President Nestor Kirchner was chosen Latinamerican Man of the Year by the influential Brazilian weekly magazine IstoE because, acting “without arrogance or chauvinism” he's dedicated to recovering the economy and self esteem of Argentine and Brazilian citizens.

• Tuesday, December 16th 2003 - 20:00 UTC

  ARA Irizar begins Antarctic season

  Argentine Navy icebreaker “Almirante Irizar” sails from Buenos Aires this Monday to begin the “full” Antarctic 2003/2004 campaign.