Mercosur

• Wednesday, March 13th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine savers to ask visiting Defence Minister to intercede with

  Argentine bank customers whose savings are being withheld due to the restrictions on bank accounts imposed by former President Fernando De la Rua last December are to try to deliver a letter to British Secretary of State for Defence Geoffrey Hoon during his two day visit to Buenos Aires later this week.

• Tuesday, March 12th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  UK and Chile intensify ties.

  British Trade and Investment Secretary, Elizabeth Symond forecasted a significant increase in trade and investment between the United Kingdom and Chile in the coming years following a meeting in Santiago with president Ricardo Lagos.

• Tuesday, March 12th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile and Europe closer

  The ninth round of free trade talks between Chile and the European Union, held in Santiago, ended with a “substantial advance” and next April in Brussels should have the deal rapped up and ready to sign during the May Iberoamerican summit in Spain.

• Tuesday, March 12th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  “D” for dengue pandemic

  Brazil is mobilized against a dengue epidemic that stated in Rio do Janeiro and seems to be spreading to other areas of the country is spite of all efforts to combat the deadly mosquito responsible for the transmission of the disease.

• Monday, March 11th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Amnesty warns IMF

  Amnesty International requested the International Monetary Fund, IMF, delegation currently working in Buenos Aires to “ensure that its procedures are coherent with human rights rules”.

• Monday, March 11th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Duhalde to meet IMF Director

  In a attempt to force the pace of the current Argentina-IMF negotiations, president Eduardo Duhalde announced he has requested meeting IMF Director General, Horst Koheler and the World Bank president, James Wolfensohn.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile forecasts strong recovery

  Chile's Finance Minister Mr. Nicolás Eyzaguirre anticipated that the country's economy will pick up strongly in the second half of 2002, contrary to what happened in the last quarter of 2001, “the worst in several years”.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Strong US support for Duhalde

  The number three man in the US State Department, Marc Grossman met this week with Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde to express Washington's support to the current Argentine government.

• Wednesday, March 6th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  US condemns Brazilian police

  The Brazilian police, particularly at state level, commit all sort of atrocities and are the greatest threat to human rights in the country according to the annual United States Congressional report on Human Rights.

• Tuesday, March 5th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Bank threat to quit Argentina

  One of Britain's biggest banks, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), is threatening to withdraw from Argentina after full-year profits were reduced by £714 million pounds (one billion dollars) set aside against loans in the bankrupt South American country.