Mercosur

• 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”.

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

  Glanbia sets foot in Uruguay.

  Glanbia, the Irish dairy consortium and one of the largest in the European Union signed in Montevideo a joint venture agreement with Uruguay's main dairy cooperative Conaprole to market produce in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

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

  Two weeks of “full pressure”.

  Chile's role as a non permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is becoming increasingly important as United States and Britain push for a second resolution on Iraq scheduled for March 7.

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

  EU bans Paraguayan beef

  The European Union this week banned all beef imports from Paraguay after recording “serious problems” in the foot and mouth supervision and control measures. The decision was taken by the EU Food Chain and Animal Health Permanent Committee in Brussels following a proposal from the European Commission.

• Saturday, February 22nd 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Eichmann Kidnapper Dies
  Recall of Argentina Nazi abduction.

  The Israeli Intelligence chief who master-minded the abduction of the Nazi killer Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960 for trial and execution in Israel has died in Israel, aged 91. Isser Harel was the head of Israel's foreign intelligence agency, Mossad, and also the first director of its domestic security agency, Shin Bet.

• Friday, February 21st 2003 - 21:00 UTC

  Record US trade deficit

  The United Status trade deficit reached a record 435,2 billion US dollars in 2002, a 21,5% increase over the 358 billion of 2001, according to an official release from the Department of Commerce.