Mercosur

• Wednesday, September 25th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Chileans celebrate in Argentina

  According to press reports over 20,000 tourists crossed to Argentina during Chile's two days national independence holiday, Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th that many Chileans extended until last Sunday.

• Wednesday, September 25th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Financial storm in Brazil

  With just two weeks to the presidential election that according to polls anticipates a possible clear victory in the first round of opposition candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the Brazilian currency is plummeting, financial markets are sliding and investors rejecting Brazilian bonds.

• Wednesday, September 25th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  “Elections can be advanced”

  Following the growing paralysis of his administration and with international credit totally non existent and the country in the verge of defaulting with multilateral organizations such as the IMF, Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde admitted to Brazilian television that “presidential elections scheduled for next March can be advanced for December or January”, but this depends on the Judiciary branch.

• Wednesday, September 25th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Markets for Argentine produce

  Economy Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz in a long column published in the Financial Times said that Argentina needs the opening of foreign markets if the country is to recover its real economy.

• Tuesday, September 24th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Sheep are coming back in Patagonia

  Following the devaluation of the Argentine currency and the strong world market for wool and lamb, Patagonia sheep farmers are again enthusiastic and timidly beginning to invest.

• Tuesday, September 24th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Claims of hake licensing “irregularities” in Argentina

  A report from the University of Buenos Aires, UBA, on 25 years of fisheries licensing with the identification of serious “irregularities”, and which apparently has disappeared, has been requested by a Justicialista Senator from the province of Chubut.

• Tuesday, September 24th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde rejects advancing election

  President Eduardo Duhalde administration rejected once again demands to advance the Argentine general election for next December, instead of March 2003 as scheduled in the official electoral calendar.

• Monday, September 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  New low record for Chilean peso

  The Chilean currency opened this Monday with a new record low, 750 pesos to the US dollar, after a week of constant depreciation of the peso. Last Friday September 20th the US dollar was selling in Santiago for 743 pesos, a 1,4% jump in one just week since market operations had begun at 729 pesos to the US dollar Monday September 16th..

• Monday, September 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Budget to emphasize “social expenditure”

  Chile's 2003 national budget will be “austere” but more resources are to be destined to health, education and combating extreme poverty it was announced by the presidential spokesman last week.

• Monday, September 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Sheep farming lost 300 million US dollars

  Sheep farming that is gradually beginning to recover in Uruguay lost during the last decade approximately 300 million US dollars.