Mercosur

• Monday, March 3rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Cabinet reshuffle.

  The Chilean cabinet reshuffle anticipated last week will officially take place this Monday when eight new Ministers and heads of Departments are instated in office.

• Sunday, March 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner leads in opinion polls.

  With 56 days left for Argentina's crucial April 27 presidential elections, the three ruling Peronist party candidates are leading in opinion polls with Santa Cruz governor Nestor Kirchner at the top with 19,5%, followed by Adolfo Rodríguez Sáa, 17,3% and former president Carlos Menem 15,6%.

• Sunday, March 2nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Elections suspended in Argentine province

  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.

• Saturday, March 1st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil acts to stabilise fuel price.

  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.

• Friday, February 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Army to ensure a peaceful Carnival

  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.

• Friday, February 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Breaking News.

  Headlines: Mixed inflation readings in Brazil; Record year for Brazilian agriculture; Anthrax case in Chile; Small farmers unite to export organic.

• Friday, February 28th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Amid a bitterly divided U.N.

  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.

• Thursday, February 27th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Coal viability project in Punta Arenas.
  US consumer confidence collapse.

  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.

• Thursday, February 27th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Brazil's Lula faces first strike threats

  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.

• Wednesday, February 26th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Virtual tie in Argentine.

  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.