Mercosur

• Wednesday, April 30th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  US-Chile trade agreement on hold.

  Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear said in Santiago on her return from Washington that the free trade agreement reached with the United States will be signed and approved, however she also admitted that US Secretary Colin Powell indicated there was no definitive date for the event.

• Wednesday, April 30th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Latinamerica expected to grow 2% in 2003.

  Latinamerica economy is forecasted to grow 2% in 2003 given the improvement in world trade conditions, easier access to credit and the significant improvement of the Argentine economy, according to the latest release from the United Nations Economic Commission on Latinamerica, Cepal.

• Wednesday, April 30th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine polls depict “Anybody but Menem” sentiment.

  Though he took a plurality in the first round of presidential elections, former leader Carlos Menem is rejected by a large majority of Argentines as undeserving of another term and stands little chance in the upcoming runoff, polls indicated Wednesday

• Tuesday, April 29th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Economic stability rather than political renewal.

  Argentines voted with their minds and hearts fixed in economic stability rather than political renewal and “the May 18 run-off is another election” with both hopefuls forced to convince the undecided segment. That seems to be the predominant opinion among analysts of the record Sunday voting in Argentina.

• Monday, April 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Paraguay has a new “tendota”

  Close to midnight Sunday the candidate of the ruling Colorado party, Mr. Nicanor Duarte Frutos was declared winner of the Paraguayan presidential election by the Electoral Tribunal with almost 38% of the vote.

• Monday, April 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine elections: first round

  Argentina's former president Carlos Menem and governor Nestor Kirchner will be disputing next May 18 the second round of presidential elections, the first time ever the ballotage system is applied in Argentina since established in the 1994 Constitution.
  With over 85% of the vote counted Mr. Menem won 24,1% of the vote and Mr. Kirchner 22%, with an unexpected showing of Mr. Ricardo López Murphy 18,5% who came in third..

• Sunday, April 27th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina the day after

  With over 82,000 security forces ensuring that today's presidential election in Argentina, the tightest in recent history, will develop normally and peacefully, caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde is preparing for the day after.

• Thursday, April 24th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  IMF support for Uruguay's debt restructuring program

  International Monetary Fund officials have openly supported Uruguay's economic program and the voluntary exchange program currently under consideration by creditors.

• Thursday, April 24th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine economy picking up

  During February economic activity in Argentina increased 5,8% over a year ago and 1,8% over January according to the latest release from the National Census and Statistics Institute, INDEC. Similarly the first two months of 2003 showed a 5% recovery over the same period in 2002.

• Thursday, April 24th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Greenspan accepts a fifth term

  Alan Greenspan said he would accept a fifth term as chairman of the Federal Reserve, the world's most influential central bank. Mr. Greenspan's comments, in a short statement, follow President George W. Bush public recommendation that he stay on the job for a fifth term.