Mercosur

• Thursday, August 21st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Signatures invalid, so probably no referendum this year

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on a four-day official visit to Argentina, said Wednesday that it was unlikely that a referendum to recall his mandate would be held this year because the signatures submitted by the opposition to initiate the process have no constitutional validity.

• Thursday, August 21st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine Senate annuls amnesty laws on human rights violations

  The Argentine Senate on Thursday annulled amnesty laws which benefited 1,000 mainly soldiers and police officers accused of committing human rights violations during the 1976-1983 dictatorship.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Breaking News.

  Headlines:
  Kirchner-Lagos meeting in Patagonia; A red “Maradona” Cabernet please?; Destruction of antipersonnel mines; Abattoir tender in doubt; A storm is brewing;

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile on the “right course”.

  Chile is on the “right course”, said Enrique Iglesias president of the Interamerican Development Bank, IDB, in direct reference to the country's economy.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  New Economy Minister in Uruguay

  Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle unexpectedly announced this Tuesday that Economy Minister Alejandro Atchugarry had resigned, and a close aide of the Minister, Isaac Alfie had been named to replace him.

• Wednesday, August 20th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chavez calls for completion of founding fathers' liberation drive

  Visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in Buenos Aires Tuesday that his country was not out to “export” its revolutionary model, but that the “time has come” to complete the liberation efforts begun by Latin America's founding fathers.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  New reconciliation attempt in Chile.

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos admitted that contrary to his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner he has no plans to propose the repeal of the current Amnesty Law.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Drop in Brazilian investment

  Investment in Brazil in 2003 will be the lowest in four years according to a release from the prestigious Getulio Vargas Foundation, FGV, following a survey of 423 companies.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina and IMF at loggerheads

  Argentina and the International Monetary Fund, IMF, this week were unable to reach a full mid term agreement as was expected. The IMF delegation left Buenos Aires Monday night with two main issues unsolved that are considered crucial for Argentina's route map and the outcome of negotiations with its (defaulted) creditors.

• Tuesday, August 19th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  British companies demand Argentina

  British Gas and National Grid, both UK companies with strong investments in Argentina are demanding compensations from the Argentine government for losses experienced during the application of the Economic Emergency Bill.