Mercosur

• Sunday, August 17th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Agriculture negotiations remain “unchanged”

  Mercosur officially expressed concern over the lack of progress in the agriculture trade talks with United States and the European Union given the coming World Trade Organization ministerial meeting scheduled for September 10/14 in Mexico.

• Friday, August 15th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  New opportunity for Paraguay?

  Lawyer and journalist Nicanor Duarte was sworn in this Friday as the new president of Paraguay, a country in the brink of bankruptcy undergoing a five years recession which has eroded living standards to half and plunged a fifth of the population to extreme poverty.

• Thursday, August 14th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  More than 200 arrested in Chilean general strike.

  The first general strike in Chile since the restoration of democracy was deemed a success Wednesday by labor unions, although the government labeled it a failure.

• Thursday, August 14th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Coalition calls for Uruguay to turn in suspected illegal toothfish boat

  The Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators (COLTO) has asked the Uruguayan Government to assist Australian authorities in apprehending the Viarsa, after the vessel was spotted inside the Australian fishing zone earlier this week, allegedly poaching patagonian toothfish.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine lower house repeals impunity laws

  With marchers demanding justice outside, Argentina's Chamber of Deputies voted late Tuesday night to annul two laws providing immunity from prosecution on atrocities charges for former officials of the 1970s dictatorship.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Federal funds rate unchanged at 1%

  As was anticipated by Wall Street analysts the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 1 percent.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Labour disruption in Chile

  Chilean Minister of Interior Jose Miguel Insulza warned this Monday that government employees who join this Wednesday's national strike sponsored by the country's Central Union of Workers, CUT, will be sanctioned.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Pinochet's 1988 coup attempt

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos said this Monday that opposition leaders were well aware that former dictator Generl Augusto Pinochet was determined to ignore the results of the 1988 referendum with a new self imposed coup.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Financial support for trade and integration

  The Inter-American Development Bank, IDB, announced this week the launching of a special financial program that includes loans and technical assistance to help adjust the Latinamerican and Caribbean economies to the challenges of integration and commercial opening.

• Monday, August 11th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Modest 1,5% growth forecasted for Latinamerica

  Latinamerica's economy is expected to experience a modest 1,5% recovery during the current year, after suffering a negative growth of 0,6% in 2002 according to the latest release from the United Nations Economic Committee for Latinamerica, CEPAL.