Mercosur

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

  Chávez could abandon IMF

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez insinuated that Venezuela could abandon the International Monetary Fund, IMF, if multilateralism “doesn't change” and keeps insisting in the promotion of “neo-liberal” economic policies.

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

  Strong primary budget surplus

  The Argentine government consolidated sector is forecasted to finish 2003 with a strong primary budget surplus equivalent to 2,8% of GDP, well above target according to the private risk agency Fundación Capital.

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

  New leader for O'Globo empire

  Brazil's main media conglomerate O'Globo has a new leader, Roberto Irineu Marinho, the eldest son of Mr. Roberto Marinho who died last week at the age of 98 and had become one of the most influential men of the country.

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

  National strike in Chile

  Chilean unions have announced a national strike for next Wednesday when the country's Congress is scheduled to begin considering the free trade agreement signed with the United States and which was approved by an ample majority in the US Senate, 66 votes and 31 against.

• Saturday, August 9th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  France asks Argentina to hand over the “Angel of Death”

  France has formally requested the extradition of Alfredo Astiz, a former Argentinean Navy captain and notorious death squad leader who has become a sinister icon of Argentina's 1976-83 “dirty war”, a Justice Ministry official said Saturday

• Thursday, August 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Wash your hands” campaign in Chile

  A massive communicational and educational campaign to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A outbreaks particularly in metropolitan Santiago de Chile was launched this week by the Chilean Ministry of Public Health and the city's environmental authorities.

• Thursday, August 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Palermo Show reflects farmers' optimism.

  The 2003 edition of the Palermo Agriculture Show in Buenos Aires closed its doors last Tuesday after giving ample and positive evidence of Argentine farmers' optimism about the future. Argentina's main agriculture show and where the best livestock of the rich pampas country is exhibited was visited by over a million people in twelve days and ended with several promising sales.

• Thursday, August 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Negative inflation in Chile.

  Chilean retail prices in July dropped 0,1%, with an accumulated inflation of 1,5% in the seven months of 2003 and 3,1% in the last twelve months according to the latest release from the Chilean Institute of Statistics.

• Thursday, August 7th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine dictators notified of Spanish extradition request.

  The man who provided the unsmiling, some say sinister, face to the 1970s Argentine dictatorship, Junta leader Jorge Videla, has rejected the jurisdiction of a Spanish judge who wants him extradited to face atrocities charges.

• Wednesday, August 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Lavagna to meet Snow.

  Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna will be meeting this week with United States Secretary of the Treasury John Snow in Washington to “assess financial relations between both countries”.