According to reports in the leading US newspapers Monday edition, President George Bush has appointed John Snow from the freight transportation business as the new Treasury Secretary. Mr. Snow will replace Mr. Paul O'Neill who resigned last week together with White House Economic Advisor Lawrence Lindsay.
Headlines: Close friend of Wall Street in Argentina's Central Bank; Highest unemployment in two decades; Free trade talks remain locked; Chavez willing to talk elections; Mr. Lula in the White House.
Headlines: Negative inflation in Chile; Critical trade talks with US; True leader of the XXI century; Brazilian economy recovering.
Headlines: EU preferential tariffs for Argentina; Red tide ban on Patagonian bivalves; Chile approves new fisheries law;Research vessel project for Patagonian shrimp fishery; Illegal fishing in southern Brazil; Industry and legislators locked in dispute; Russia seeks renewal of agreement; Shrimp exports face US anti-dumping campaign
Lawmakers from the pro-government socialist Podemos (We Can) Party on Thursday asked Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to lead a call to early elections as a way to solve the country's growing social and political crisis.
Six South American presidents convened a summit of the continent's largest trading bloc Thursday, aiming to work out a timetable for a free trade agreement covering most of the continent.
In a joint declaration, Mercosur presidents currently holding talks in Brasilia made a strong statement demanding an end to subsidies by rich countries and a fairer agricultural trade policies.
Horst Koehler, the head of the International Monetary Fund, and Kenneth Dam, a top economics official in the Bush administration, will make separate fact-finding missions to Latin America starting later this week.
Brazilian elected president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva emphasized his future government's commitment to Mercosur and insisted that Chile must strengthen its presence in the South American block.
The Norwalk gastroenteritis virus that has been attacking cruise vessels in the Caribbean reappeared last Monday adding several hundred more cases to the toll of those prostrated by diarrhea and fever.