Mercosur

• Tuesday, May 6th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  US trade agreement with Chile conditioned.

  A strong appeal to ratify the United States free trade agreement with Chile was made by US Representative Judy Biggert. The Republican Congresswoman who is the main lobbyist for the US-Chile agreement said that politics and trade should not be mixed, and asked her colleagues that when voting “keep in mind the benefits this will represent for both countries”.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Menem from favorite to underdog.

  Former Argentine president Carlos Menem this Sunday admitted for the first time that he could be defeated in the run off for the presidential election of next May 18. So far Mr. Menem had never admitted loosing an election and had anticipated that in the first round of April 27 he would win by an ample margin of at least ten points.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  “Virtuous circle” forecasted for Brazil.

  The Brazilian Central Bank expects a rebound of expectations in the coming months that will help the country keep inflation below the 5,5% target agreed for next year and a significant drop in interest rates that now stand at a basic record of 26,5%.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Reshuffle in Uruguayan cabinet.

  A reshuffle in the Uruguayan cabinet in the international relations area is expected in the coming weeks according ours sources in Montevideo.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde on kidnapping of Macri's daughter.

  President Eduardo Duhalde yesterday repudiated the kidnapping of Florencia Macri ? daughter of top local businessman Franco Macri ? and urged the Congress to pass a law to toughen sentences for kidnappers.

• Monday, May 5th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Kidnappers have released F Macri.

  Kidnappers have released at 5am today unharmed the 19-year-old daughter of an Italo-Argentine construction magnate after they collected $800,000 in ransom, Argentine police reported.

• Sunday, May 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Paraguayan elected president pressed to take office.

  Paraguayan leaders of the ruling party and the opposition have requested elected president Nicanor Duarte to advance the taking office date and replace outgoing caretaker president Luis González Macchi, who's described as the “negligent president”.

• Sunday, May 4th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean tourism industry recovering.

  After two successive negative summer seasons the number of tourists visiting Chile during the first quarter of 2003 increased 2,7% over the same period in 2002 according to the latest release from the Chilean National Tourism Service. The increase represented a 5% expansion in income equivalent to 20 million US dollars.

• Saturday, May 3rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Menem names his potential Cabinet.

  Economy, Carlos Melconián; Foreign Relations, Jorge Castro; Defence, Pablo Rojo; Education, Juan Tobías; Health, Alejandro Matera; Interior... could it be Adolfo Rodríguez Saá?

• Saturday, May 3rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina floods kill 16; 100,000 evacuated.

  The worst flooding to hit Argentina's farming heartland in memory has killed 16 people and forced 100,000 from their homes -- with some evacuees taking shelter in cemetery crypts -- officials said on Friday.