Mercosur

• Sunday, May 26th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Urgent: New leadership requested

  An overwhelming majority of Argentines, 82%, demand that in the next elections scheduled for October 2003, all elected posts, from President to local Councillors, be renewed. Another significant 70% believe the current Argentine crisis is political, according to the latest Gallup poll.

• Friday, May 24th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  A plea for Mr. Cavallo

  Seventy five world personalities figure in an open request to the Argentine government published in the New York Times, asking for an immediate consideration of Mr. Domingo Cavallo's legal situation and ensure that he is “treated in a fair and impartial way”.

• Friday, May 24th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  220.000 visas

  US consular offices in Argentina are overwhelmed with requests for visas. Last year 20,000 were granted but this year at the current rate of 800/1000 per day, it is estimated that 220,000 visas will be the final number.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine Minister confident

  Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna currently in Washington said he's confident on reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, based on a new program, by the end of June.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Crucial day for fast track

  The US Senate is expected to approve this Thursday the Trade Promotion Authority, TPA, the former “fast track” that will enable the President Bush administration to involve in trade agreements with other countries and blocks.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Spanish losses

  The Argentine crisis so far has cost the main Spanish companies with investments in the country an estimated 10,9 billion US dollars according to one of Madrid's main financial newspapers, Expansión.

• Thursday, May 23rd 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Cardoso warns about the “Argentina syndrome”

  “If the coming elected authorities of Brazil are incompetent, the country runs the risk of turning into a new Argentina”, warned Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso who has become directly involved in the campaign trail.

• Tuesday, May 21st 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Breaking News

  Too many immigrants / Chile after new trade links / “I feel am a gaucho” / Another trouble spot? / US spurs trade round with Chile / Extra digit in Chilean cellular

• Monday, May 20th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  All eyes set on Colombia

  With less than a week before next Sunday's Colombian presidential election the candidate that has promised an iron fist fight against the guerrilla movement, Alvaro Uribe, leads comfortably with 49,3% of vote intention, more than doubling his runner up, Mr. Horacio Serpa with 23%, according to a poll published in Bogotá's main daily newspaper, El Tiempo.

• Monday, May 20th 2002 - 21:00 UTC

  Controversy over the IMF

  Argentine public opinion is split down quiet evenly regarding the convenience or not of reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to obtain much needed financial assistance to overcome the current crisis.