The gubernatorial election in Argentina's Catamarca province was suspended today Sunday after a wave of violence was unleashed by supporters of banned Peronist candidate Luis Barrionuevo.
In the face of rising international oil prices and the threat of war in Iraq, Brazil's government is taking measures to limit domestic fuel price fluctuations.
With the support of the Armed Forces, Brazilian Police have launched a huge security operation to protect the carnival in Rio de Janeiro which has been threatened by spiralling violence between drugs gangs.
Headlines: Mixed inflation readings in Brazil; Record year for Brazilian agriculture; Anthrax case in Chile; Small farmers unite to export organic.
Security Council, Chile and Mexico joined Thursday in calling on the body's five permanent members to look for ways to surmount their differences on Iraq.
Corfo, the official Chilean promotion corporation was granted a fifteen years mining lease in an island rich in coal reserves to the north of Punta Arenas. If exploratory geological surveying in the Estancia Invierno complex of Riesco Island concession indicates the commercial viability of the project, exploitation is expected to begin in twelve months.
The Brazilian government on Wednesday began meeting with civil-service unions that have called for pay hikes and threatened to hold what may be the first strikes since socialist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office.
The three leading Peronist candidates for the coming April 27 Argentine presidential election are virtually tied, with former president Carlos Menem showing a slight advantage according to the latest opinion poll published in Buenos Aires.
According to an Argentine Congressional committee preliminary report, over 60 billion US dollars fled from Argentina between 1992 and 2001. Worse even, in spite of current legislation the report indicates that most of the money managed to evade Central Bank and other financial and tax institutions controls, while the banking system wasn't particularly willing to collaborate with the investigation.
Paraguay's presidential election next April 27 has become a tight race with the candidate for the ruling Colorado Party leading followed two points behind by the main opposition figure according to the latest opinion poll published by ABC Color, one of the capital Asunción main newspapers.