Mercosur

• Sunday, June 3rd 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Toledo Wins Peru Presidential Vote.

  Alejandro Toledo rose from a poor childhood as a shoeshine boy to become Peru's first freely elected president of native Indian descent on Sunday, defeating controversial ex-president Alan Garcia.

• Thursday, May 31st 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Aerolíneas in the verge of closure

  Aerolíneas Argentinas, the Argentine air flag carrier for decades that was purchased ten years ago by Iberia seems inches away from its final closure.

• Wednesday, May 30th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Recovery signals in Argentina

  Although the Argentine economy has began to show some tepid signals of recovery, it's still too early to consider it a consolidated tendency, according to local analysts. However analysts underline that the restructuring of 15 billion US dollars of foreign debt maturing in the next twelve months, has had a strong impact in consumer and local investment attitudes.

• Wednesday, May 30th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  García closing in.

  Former president Alan García is running just a couple of points behind Alejandro Toledo in the final round this Sunday to elect Perú's next president. Latest polls indicate Mr. Toledo remains flat in 41%, while Mr. García has steadily and unexpectedly grown from 27% to 38% in the last three weeks.

• Monday, May 28th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Mercosur is over.

  “Mercosur is over, it has proved a complete failure, since Brazil constitutionally is too dependent on its governors and can't ensure a common currency or agree macroeconomic policies for the block”.

• Sunday, May 27th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Political scandal in Brazil.

  Two of the most powerful Brazilian Senators have opted to resign from Congress after it was proved both had forced staff to reveal information of a secret vote on the previous ousting of another Senator in 2000, responsible for a billion US dollars embezzlement.

• Saturday, May 26th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Vermont “shocks” Bush administration

  In spite of Republicans having lost the majority in the Senate, the George W. Bush administration is confident it will have sufficient political support to negotiate the Americas Free Trade Association, AFTA, although Democrats are expected to include labor rights and environment protection clauses.

• Thursday, May 24th 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  State of the Nation.

  Chilean president Ricardo Lagos addressed this week Congress promising the creation of 150.000 new jobs and 3,5 billion US dollars in public investments in anticipation of a medium upturn of the economy.

• Wednesday, May 23rd 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Holidays to forget blackouts

  Legal controversies about the implementation of energy rationing has convinced the Brazilian government to seriously consider a proposal by distributors to declare Mondays national holiday, thereby increasing electricity savings.

• Monday, May 21st 2001 - 21:00 UTC

  Aerolineas Argentines, “The Ghost of VIASA?”

  The Aerolineas strike, which began on the last Tuesday, grounding all of Aerolineas and AUSTRAL's flights, continue at press time with no immediate sign of a solution