Mercosur

• 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.

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

  60 billion US dollars fled Argentina

  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.

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

  Paraguayan ruling party leads in polls

  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.

• Tuesday, February 25th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Cabinet reshuffle and Iraq crisis in Chile.

  The cabinet reshuffle Chilean president Ricardo Lagos anticipated for March is imminent, according to Government House sources in Santiago. Mr. Lagos is expected to name at least six new ministers and will be making the announcement in the middle of the Iraq crisis that should help shadow the original reason for the changes.

• Monday, February 24th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Bolivian President Mulls Legalizing Coca

  The president of Bolivia is considering a plan to resume cultivation of the raw ingredient in cocaine in a remote jungle basin ? a move the U.S. government fears would undermine what is viewed as its most successful anti-drug program in South America.

• Monday, February 24th 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Feud Rips Argentina's Peronists Apart as Vote Looms

  “Dictator,” “con artist,” “stupid.” The taunts are flying as Argentina's presidential race heats up, but the twist is that this year those hurling insults at each other belong to the same party.

• Sunday, February 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay and IMF reach an agreement

  Uruguay reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund that should give the country access to much needed financial assistance.

• Sunday, February 23rd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile 1973: “nothing to be proud of”.

  US Secretary of State Colin Powell admitted during a television interview in Washington that the overthrow of elected Chilean president Salvador Allende in 1973 “is a part of the United States history of which we are not proud”.