Mercosur

• Tuesday, October 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde, Mercosur's “president”.

  Former Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde was nominated this Monday in Montevideo president of Mercosur's Representatives Committee, RP, a body that will have the task of coordinating different Mercosur's departments and represent the South American trade block in international negotiations.

• Tuesday, October 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean economy speeding up.

  The Chilean economy is expected to end 2003 with a 3,4% expansion and in 2004 should manage to grow 4% given the encouraging external signs, said Economy Minister Nicolás Eyzaguirre.

• Tuesday, October 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil will produce enriched uranium in 2004

  Brazil's Science and Technology Minister Roberto Amaral confirmed the country's determination to begin producing enriched uranium next year.

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Drought imperils Argentine farming

  One of the worst droughts in recent Argentine history has extended to ten of the country's provinces devastating crops and killing thousands of cattle short of water and pastures.

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Majority of Argentines optimistic, but?

  According to a public opinion poll published over the weekend in the Buenos Aires press a majority of Argentines feel optimistic about the future and believe the country's situation will improve in the near future. Similarly the level of support for President Nestor Kirchner remains particularly high.

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Cuba the next objective

  President George Bush is committed to the disappearance of the current regime in Cuba and will maintain the economic embargo as a “tool” to ensure this objective.

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Divorce in spite of the Catholic Church

  Chile, one of the most conservative Latinamerican societies and the only Western country that contemplates no legal marriage dissolution is involved in a fierce dispute over the approval of the first ever divorce law. But supporters of the bill fear that so many amendments have been added that it could make the procedure non effective.

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Public Utility rates increases “not imminent”.

  Argentina's Congress has handed the government sweeping powers to increase privatised utility companies rates and thereby meeting a central demand of the International Monetary Fund.

• Monday, October 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  UNCTAD criticizes free trade policies

  Latin American governments should restructure debt burdens and play a more active role in economic development, the UN Conference on Trade and Development has urged. In its latest annual trade and development report, Unctad sharply criticised the market-friendly and trade-oriented policies adopted during the 1990s and said they had contributed to a “premature de-industrialisation” in the region.

• Sunday, October 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur extraordinary meeting in Montevideo

  Mercosur full member countries Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy will be meeting as of this Monday in Montevideo, Uruguay to consider free trade market negotiations with the Community of Andean Nations, CAN.