Peru's two hopefuls in the presidential run off exchanged claims of illegal campaign funding while a growing segment of the electorate expressed their frustration anticipating they will cast invalid protest votes in the coming round.
Argentina has a new Central Bank president, Mr. Roque Maccarone, a reputed banker from the private sector who previously also presided over the country's most important and largest financial institution, Banco Nación.
Uruguay declared a national emergency following the confirmation of two foot and mouth, FAM, outbreaks in Soriano, just across from Argentina, and one of the richest farming areas of the country.
Having lost the mediatic coverage to the thousands of protestors, violent and non violent, who overrun Quebec, the leaders of the 34 countries of the Americas, virtually besieged in the historic Citadel of French Canada, ratified their commitment to a free trade area, FTAA, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, effective December 2005, and conditioned its members to a democratic clause.
Despite the risk posed by highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, FAM, US sanitary authorities and the meat industry have so far refused to consider immunizing livestock in the United States.
World economic growth will abruptly slowdown this year falling to 2,2% from last year's 4%, according to the latest World Bank report. However this hard landing should be softer for Latinamerica GDP which is expected to grow 3,7% in 2001, almost equivalent to last year's 3,8%, and push to 4,4% in 2002.
Royal Dutch Shell has selected Tierra del Fuego as its main option to set up a plant to extract liquid fuels from natural gas. The project involves investing 1,5 billion US dollars and will concentrate in elaborating virgin petrol, jet fuel and diesel-oil.
This Friday and during the weekend 34 presidents of the three Americas (with the exception of Cuba) will be discussing in Quebec, Canada, the recent documents drafted in Buenos Aires and Toronto for the creation a Free Trade Association extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, potentially turning the area into the world's main block: 800 million people and double the European Union GDP.
Argentina's super Economy minister Domingo Cavallo has once again shaken financial markets with his latest initiative: changing the current convertibility system of one Argentine peso-one US dollar, by making it extensive to one Euro.
Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle and a numerous delegation of businessmen are currently in Japan promoting trade and investments.