Weekly Summary

The Week Ahead - 10 July 2009

16 July 2009 Hits: 113

Friday 10 July

Brazil: Final leg of a two-day visit to Havana by a Brazilian business delegation, led by the minister for development, industry and foreign trade, Miguel Jorge, aimed at boosting bilateral trade.

Cuba: Final day of the VII International Environment and Development Convention.

Chile: Final leg of a three-day visit to Chile by France's trade minister, Anne-Marie Idrac, aimed at boosting bilateral ties.

Bolivia: One-day summit of the Mayors of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) in La Paz.

Sunday 12 July

Nicaragua: The government of President Daniel Ortega will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the entry into Managua of the leftwing Sandinista combatants that subsequently overthrew the Anastasio Somoza regime.

Brazil: The president of Mozambique, Armando Guebuza, begins a five-day visit to Brazil, which will include a meeting with President Lula da Silva.

Monday 13 July

Bolivia/Uruguay: President Evo Morales will visit Uruguay and meet his counterpart, Tabaré Vásquez, to strengthen bilateral relations.

Nicaragua: A government delegation will travel to Washington to meet the director general of the IMF, Dominique Strauss Khan, to discuss the impact of the global economic crisis on Nicaragua.

The Week Ahead - 31 July 2009

31 July 2009 Hits: 108

Friday 31 July

El Salvador: The deputy minister for Salvadoreans abroad, Juan José García, will begin a visit to the US to meet expats in Los Angeles and San Francisco and present the plan of government of the new Mauricio Funes administration.

Cuba: The final day of the two day annual conference of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) in Miami.

Ecuador: The new national assembly will begin sitting.

Saturday 1 August

Cuba: Ordinary session of the Cuban national assembly, presided over by Raúl Castro.

Peru: Free Trade Agreement between Peru and Singapore enters into effect.

Bolivia: President Evo Morales will be the first citizen to register in the biometric electoral register, ahead of the 6 December elections.

Monday 3 August

Honduras: Congress will give its answer to the proposals made by President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica to end the crisis caused by the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya.

Thursday 6 August

Chile/Argentina: A Chilean delegation of seven ministers will travel to Argentina to participate in a “binational committee".

Bolivia: President Evo Morales will give the independence day address at Sucre, a city controlled by his opponents.

The Week Ahead - 21 August 2009

21 August 2009 Hits: 262

Friday 21 August

Costa Rica: Opening day of the second Central American Education Ministers forum, overseen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), until 22 August.

Saturday 22 August

Brazil-Bolivia: The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, will meet in Bolivia's Chapare region (in the central province of Cochabamba) to discuss the Bolivia-Brazil Gas Supply Agreement and cooperation on anti-drugs trafficking. They will sign cross-border road transport agreements, with a US$332m Brazilian investment in Bolivian road infrastructure.

Monday 24 August

El Salvador-Chile: El Salvador's President Mauricio Funes begins an official visit to Chile, where he will meet Chile's President Michelle Bachelet (until 26 August).

Ecuador-Brazil: Ecuadorean foreign minister, Fander Falconí, begins an official visit to Brazil, at the invitation of Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorim.

23 July 2004

23 July 2004 Hits: 286

The week just gone

BOLIVIA: Bolivia's voters backed all five of the government's proposals regarding reforms to the oil and gas sectors in a referendum.

HAITI: At a two-day conference of international donors in Washington the international community promised US$1.1bn for the Haiti's interim government. The funds are to help get the country off the ground and ready for democratic elections in 2006.

VENEZUELA: Venezuela's Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) announced that the number of registered voters in the country stood at 13,893,322 as of 10 July - a rise of over a million from June's figure of 12.5m.

MEXICO: Two of Mexico's biggest drug cartels agreed to join forces in order to protect their interests in the illegal narcotics industry.

BRAZIL: The US-based risk-consultancy firm Kroll was accused of spying on senior officials in the government of President Lula da Silva, as part of a probe into a heated dispute between two major players in the telecommunications sector.

The week ahead (24-30 July)

Saturday
MEXICO: The special prosecutor's office dealing with the dirty-war cases is to present the report on its investigation on a 1971 student massacre.

Monday
CUBA/MEXICO: Cuba and Mexico to resume diplomatic relations and reinstate their respective ambassadors.

Monday-Friday
ANDEAN GROUP: Third round of free-trade talks between Peru, Colombia and Ecuador and the US to be held in Lima.

Wednesday
VENEZUELA: Preliminary hearing for 102 alleged Colombian paramilitary fighters charged with 'military rebellion' after being arrested on 29 May outside Caracas.

Thursday
HAITI: Dominican Republic's president-elect Leonel Fernández to visit Port-au-Prince.

EL SALVADOR: The US Southern Command finishes military exercises with 16 Latin American countries in San Salvador.

30 July 2004

30 July 2004 Hits: 210

The week just gone

ARGENTINA: President Néstor Kirchner sacked justice and security minister Gustavo Beliz on 24 July.

PERU: Opposition candidate Antero Flores-Aráoz was elected as Peru's head of congress on 26 July.

MEXICO: At least one person was killed and 15 injured in the Mexican town of Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca, on 27 July in clashes between rival political groups ahead Sunday's elections.

GUATEMALA: Guatemala's President Oscar Berger sent army and police patrols into 'red zones' in a bid to curtail violent crime

BRAZIL: The director of the central bank's monetary policy committee (Copom), Luiz Augusto Candiota, resigned on 28 July amid allegations of tax evasion published by the Brazilian weekly magazine Istoé.

DIRTY WAR: In Mexico, a judge threw out charges filed against former president Luis Echeverría (1970-1976), over the murder of at least 25 student protesters in 1971.

The week ahead (31 July-06 August)

Sunday
MEXICO: Gubernatorial and state elections in Oaxaca.

Tuesday
PERU: President Alejandro Toledo and Bolivian counterpart Carlos Mesa sign a 'common market' agreement

Thursday
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: DR-Cafta becomes a reality as officials from the Dominican Republic meet Central American trade ministers for an official ceremony in Washington which will see the Caribbean country 'docked' to the trade agreement.

Thursday-Sunday
PANAMA: President-elect Martín Torrijos will visit Brazil, Argentina and Chile to meet presidents Lula da Silva Néstor Kirchner and Ricardo Lagos respectively.
CHILE: Senate to vote on bill to impose a 3% charge on mining companies' sales.

6 August 2004

06 August 2004 Hits: 287

Andean Group
02/08- BOLIVIA: Morales accuses US of plotting
05/08- BOLIVIA: Mesa happy to sell gas to Chile
02/08- COLOMBIA: Uribe's drug links re-examined
03/08- COLOMBIA: AUC faction heeds government warning
04/08- COLOMBIA: International community frustrates government
05/08- COLOMBIA: Uribe receives strong support from the US
06/08- COLOMBIA: Military kills trade union chiefs
06/08- COLOMBIA: Mancuso issues new demands
04/08- ECUADOR: Congress blocks VAT rebates for oil companies
06/08- ECUADOR: Investment in oil sector declines
02/08- PERU: Bolivia granted special economic zone for gas exports
03/08- PERU: First lady ordered to open bank accounts
05/08- PERU-CHILE: Row over borders lingers on
02/08- VENEZUELA: Chávez cocky about referendum
03/08- VENEZUELA: Opposition sneers at wage increase and tax cuts
04/08- VENEZUELA: Another opinion poll points to Chávez win
06/08- VENEZUELA: Opposition poll fraud revealed
05/08- VENEZUELA: Worries about terrorism before referendum

Brazil & Southern Cone
02/08- ARGENTINA: UCR responds to Kirchner's overtures
03/08- ARGENTINA: Beliz tempers accusations
04/08- ARGENTINA: Government to raise export tax on fuel
05/08- ARGENTINA: Police to train in Colombia
06/08- ARGENTINA: Kirchner writes off provincial debt
02/08- BRAZIL: Meirelles falls under suspicion
03/08- BRAZIL: Pentagon picks Embraer for US$7bn spy-plane
04/08- BRAZIL: Lula backs Meirelles
04/08- BRAZIL: Eight die in prison riot
05/08- BRAZIL: Trade triumph as WTO sugar ruling goes against EU
05/08- BRAZIL: Meirelles called to testify before senate
06/08- BRAZIL: PMDB deputy stripped of immunity for killing wife's lover
06/08- BRAZIL: Meirelles feels the heat
02/08- CHILE: Lists to be confirmed for municipal elections
03/08- CHILE: Lagos grants pardon to 'terrorist'
04/08- CHILE: Senate rejects mining royalty
06/08- CHILE: Government willing to listen to opposition on royalty
02/08- PARAGUAY: Hundreds die in supermarket blaze
04/08- PARAGUAY: Death toll from fire tops 400
04/08- REGION: The effects of the commodity price boom

Caribbean & Central America
06/08- BELIZE: Moody's downgrades credit rating
05/08- COSTA RICA: Government fixes salary hike at 4.5%
02/08- GUATEMALA: Violent crime figures trouble Berger
03/08- GUATEMALA: Mayor gunned down
03/08- HAITI: Manigat to run for president
05/08- HONDURAS: Cardinal speaks out on drugs

Mexico & Nafta
02/08- MEXICO: PRI wins tight Oaxacan election
03/08- MEXICO: Problems persist in Oaxaca
03/08- MEXICO: Hank Rhon wins in Tijuana
04/08- MEXICO: Consumer confidence drops, interest rates rise
05/08- MEXICO: Senate debates IMSS reforms
06/08- MEXICO: IMSS reform triggers strike threat

Regional Statistics
02/08- Latest data
03/08- Latest data
04/08- Latest data
05/08- Latest data
06/08- Latest data

Afternoon Features

02/08- Regional Focus - Andean Group
03/08- People Profile - Rodrigo Azevedo
04/08- Washington Watch - 4 August 2004
05/08- Security Update - Colombia opens region's first anti-kidnap school

The Week Ahead (7 - 13 August)

Sunday
PANAMA: Eight countries begin ten days of anti-terrorism naval exercises with the aim of protecting the Panama Canal. Participating nations: US, Panama, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Monday
EL SALVADOR: President Tony Saca conducts a six-day official visit to Taiwan, where he is scheduled to meet President Chen Shui-bian on 11 August. He will address congress on 16 August. In the interim Saca will spend his time trying to drum up investment.

VENEZUELA: The government's 'no' campaign ahead of the recall referendum on 15 August continues with a march down the Avenida Bolívar.

BRAZIL: Beleaguered central bank president Henrique Meirelles takes time off from defending himself against corruption allegations to address a luncheon sponsored by the British Chamber of Commerce. He will speak on "The Recent Evolution of Brazil's Economy".

Wednesday
BRAZIL: The Presidents of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia meet on the triple border to discuss trilateral integration issues. Brazil's Lula da Silva and Bolivia's Carlos Mesa will inaugurate a bridge over the Acre river on their common border, while Lula and Peru's Alejandro Toledo will lay the foundation stone of a bridge to link the Brazilian town of Assis to Peru's Inapari.

Thursday
CARIBBEAN BASIN: Taiwan's Prime Minister Yu Shyi-kun begins a three-nation tour of the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua, which will take in the inaugural ceremony of the Dominican Republic's president-elect Leonel Fernández on 16 August. Taiwan is keen to keep all three countries from switching camps and recognising China.

Friday
VENEZUELA: The government's 'no' campaign culminates with a Festival Bolivariano de la Música in the Avenida Urdaneta.

GUATEMALA: The human rights prosecutor's office (PDH) is leading a mass march in Guatemala City to demonstrate against the surge in violent crime in recent months. The march will also be supported by a number of civic associations who have come together to form a 'Front Against Violence'.

13 August 2004

13 August 2004 Hits: 286

Andean
09/08- BOLIVIA: Oil companies to oppose tax
09/08- COLOMBIA: New party to secure Uribe re-election
10/08- COLOMBIA: Government fights to keep peso down
12/08- COLOMBIA: Court blocks pension reform
13/08- COLOMBIA: AUC agrees to major demobilisation
09/08- ECUADOR: Gutií¨rrez threatened by return of 'El Loco'
09/08- VENEZUELA: Chávez on course for victory
10/08- VENEZUELA: CNE loses patience with opposition
11/08- VENEZUELA: Observers expect peaceful vote
12/08- VENEZUELA: OAS steps up criticism of opposition
13/08- VENEZUELA: Chávez confident of victory

Brazil & Southern Cone
09/08- ARGENTINA: Going it alone over debt
10/08- ARGENTINA: Pensions raised again
11/08- ARGENTINA: Stirring trouble again
12/08- ARGENTINA: Congress chases another supreme court judge
13/08- ARGENTINA: UCR puts conditions on talks with Kirchner
09/08- BRAZIL: Corruption allegations extend to PT
10/08- BRAZIL: New force to patrol triple frontier
10/08- BRAZIL: Integration will resolve trade disputes
11/08- BRAZIL: Lula bounces back up in polls
12/08- BRAZIL: Oil production to be self-sufficient by 2005
12/08- BRAZIL: Government accused of trying to curb press freedom
10/08- CHILE: Super-judge stays on both cases
10/08- CHILE: Pinochet-era privatisations under microscope
11/08- CHILE: Mixed day for government in senate
12/08- CHILE: Secret laws to be declassified
13/08- CHILE: Long-running sex scandal takes another twist
13/08- MERCOSUR: EU trade talks up in the air

Caribbean & Central America
10/08- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Total blackout
11/08- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Mejía accused of tax gestures
11/08- EL SALVADOR: FMLN linked to Al-Qaeda
09/08- GUATEMALA: Top court rules against UN-led rights commission
12/08- GUATEMALA: Frustrated ex-paramilitaries assault legislators
13/08- GUATEMALA: Government launches bold economic plan
09/08- COSTA RICA: Pacheco asks unions to call off strike
09/08- HAITI: Big challenge for Latin America
13/08- HAITI: Police go on strike ahead of Brazil game
12/08- HONDURAS: Prison director investigated for role in jail fire

Mexico & Nafta
09/08- MEXICO: Formal complaint about Oaxaca election
10/08- MEXICO: Political problems mount for Madrazo
10/08- MEXICO: Tlaxcala governor to step down to support wife
12/08- MEXICO: IATA warns about runways at Mexico City's airport
12/08- MEXICO: Another Marta investigation
13/08- MEXICO: Moves to expel Gordillo
13/08- MEXICO: Union leader claims Madrazo in charge

Regional statistics
09/08- Latest data
10/08- Latest data
11/08- Latest data
12/08- Latest data
13/08- Latest data

Afternoon Features
09/08 Regional Focus - Mexico & Nafta
10/08 People Profile - Cássio Casseb
11/08 Washington Watch - 11 August 2004
12/08 Security Update - Under pressure, Brazil strengthens Triple Border security

The Week Ahead (14-21 August)

Saturday
MEXICO: Mexican foreign minister Luis Ernesto Derbez begins a five-day tour of India and China. Boosting bilateral trade will top the agenda.

Sunday
VENEZUELA: Recall referendum on President Hugo Chávez

COLOMBIA: President Alvaro Uribe visits Panama to inaugurate the centenary bridge over the Panama Canal. He is expected to discuss security issues with Panama's President Mireya Moscoso.

Monday
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Inauguration ceremony of President-elect Leonel Fernández.

HAITI: The Caribbean Community, Caricom, decides on whether to recognise the interim government in Haiti.

Tuesday
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Ten Latin American heads of state, including Brazil's Lula da Silva and Colombia's Alvaro Uribe, will participate in a mini-summit in Santo Domingo to discuss issues such as poverty, multilateralism and external debt.

EL SALVADOR: Third contingent of 380 troops leaves for Iraq amid threats from two Islamic groups who claim to have ties to al-Qaida.

HAITI: The police begin a two-day strike to demand a 100% salary increase and better equipment.

Wednesday
HAITI: Friendly football match between Brazil and Haiti to be attended by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Argentina's Néstor Kirchner and Chile's Ricardo Lagos as well as Haitian Prime Minister Gérard Latortue.

20 August 2004

20 August 2004 Hits: 368

Main briefing
16/08- VENEZUELA: Chávez wins as turnout overwhelms system
17/08- VENEZUELA: US alone in not hailing Chávez win
18/08- VENEZUELA: CNE announces sample audit
19/08 COLOMBIA: Uribe offers Farc prisoner exchange
20/08- VENEZUELA: Opposition rejects audit decision

Andean
20/08- BOLIVIA: Peasants end oil-field occupation
16/08- COLOMBIA: Farc funds outlined
17/08- COLOMBIA: Government linked to Galán killing
18/08- COLOMBIA: Re-election returns to congress
20/08- COLOMBIA: Positive response to humanitarian exchange
16/08- ECUADOR: PRE-PSP electoral alliance looks unlikely
17/08- ECUADOR: No way back for Bucaram
18/08- ECUADOR: Lawsuit against ChevronTexaco begins
20/08- ECUADOR: 74% rise in independents on electoral register
20/08- PERU: Court orders investigation into prison massacre
19/08- VENEZUELA: Opposition rejects sample audit

Brazil & Southern Cone
16/08- ARGENTINA: SIDE malfeasance uncovered
17/08- ARGENTINA: Duhalde backs Kirchner's piquetero policy
19/08- ARGENTINA: Rato to visit Argentina
19/08- ARGENTINA: Senators chastise neighbours for Falklands move
20/08- ARGENTINA: Growth flattens out in second quarter
16/08- BRAZIL: Business looking forward to bumper Christmas
17/08- BRAZIL: Meirelles promoted to ministerial rank
18/08- BRAZIL: 63 nabbed in money-laundering sweep
19/08- BRAZIL: Government wins court battle and calms investors
20/08- BRAZIL: Warning about prisons issued
20/08- BRAZIL: Talks with Paraguay to wipe out weapons smuggling
16/08- CHILE: Cardinal backs Father Jolo in Spiniak case
17/08- CHILE: Enap snaps up Shell Peru
18/08- CHILE: Cardinal lends support to Novoa
19/08- CHILE: Charges against Pinochet pile up
20/08- CHILE: UDI to investigate Concertación privatisations
17/08- PARAGUAY: Government refuses peasants' demands
16/08- URUGUAY: Parties preparing for election
19/08- URUGUAY: Poll gives Vázquez first-round win

Caribbean & Central America
16/08- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Fernández to be inaugurated today
17/08- GUATEMALA: Coffee exports exceed expectations
19/08- GUATEMALA: Government frets about missing US$12m
16/08- HAITI: Police offered wage increase
18/08- HAITI: Rebel leaders cleared of murder
19/08- HAITI: Brazilian soccer game a success
18/08- HONDURAS: Outcry over death-penalty proposal
18/08- NICARAGUA: Bolaños rages against judiciary

Mexico & Nafta
16/08- MEXICO: Gertz sacked
17/08- MEXICO: Tlaxcala election already a farce
18/08- MEXICO: PRI frets about Veracruz
19/08- MEXICO: Independent union promises strike for 1 September
20/08- MEXICO: Courts add another element to Tlaxcala farce

Regional statistics
16/08- Latest data
17/08- Latest data
18/08- Latest data
20/08- Latest data

Afternoon features
16/08 Regional Focus - Regional Focus (Mon)
17/08 People Profile - People Profile (Tue)
18/08 Washington Watch - Washington Watch (Wed)
19/08 Security Update -Security Update (Thu)

The Week Ahead (21-27 August)

Saturday
BRAZIL: Conclusion of 23rd meeting of foreign ministers of the Rio Group.

Monday
CHILE: Central bank releases second-quarter gross domestic product figures.

Tuesday
ARGENTINA: Former Argentine central bank president Javier Gonzalez Fraga and economist Miguel Kiguel to speak in a seminar on economic growth hosted by Amigos de la Universidad de Tel Aviv.

Thursday
ARGENTINA: Foreign minister Rafael Bielsa to meet foreign journalists.
VENEZUELA: Foreign minister Jesús Pérez to travel to the Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the signing of a free-trade agreement between the Group of Three (Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela). Following this trip, Pérez will head to Iran, India, China and the US.

27 August 2004

03 September 2004 Hits: 610

Andean
23/08- BOLIVIA: Mesa takes on congress
23/08- BOLIVIA: Mesa says Morales will be president
25/08- BOLIVIA: Mesa tries to back down over congress
26/08- BOLIVIA: Strike and snow bring La Paz to a halt
27/08- BOLIVIA: Congress responds to Mesa compromise
23/08- COLOMBIA: Farc rules out exchange, ELN replies to government
23/08- COLOMBIA: AUC publishes list of negotiators
24/08- COLOMBIA: New variety of coca created
26/08- COLOMBIA: Government wants Farc talks over internet
27/08- COLOMBIA: Government ordered to pay further compensation
24/08- ECUADOR: Row with Oxy escalates
23/08- PERU: Government names new intelligence chief
25/08- PERU: Rodríguez talks free trade with Central America
23/08- VENEZUELA: Chávez taunts opposition
24/08- VENEZUELA: US recognises referendum was fair
26/08- VENEZUELA: Opposition governors agree to elections
27/08- VENEZUELA: OAS says its work is done

Brazil & Southern Cone
25/08- ARGENTINA: Prats ruling spells end of dirty war amnesty
25/08- ARGENTINA: Piquetero chief charged
26/08- ARGENTINA: Vázquez survives 'assassination' attempt
23/08- BRAZIL: Six die in violent attacks on homeless
24/08- BRAZIL: Federal Police apprehend illegal load of uranium
24/08- BRAZIL: Lula's helping hands for São Paulo
25/08- BRAZIL: Congress in a deadlock
26/08- BRAZIL: New allegations against Meirelles
26/08- BRAZIL: Unemployment falls again in São Paulo
27/08- BRAZIL: Skaf protests about Vaz win
27/08- BRAZIL: Copom minutes point to rate rise
23/08- CHILE: More Pinochet accounts found in US
24/08- CHILE: First half growth exceeds forecasts
25/08- CHILE: Pinochet to testify over Jara case
26/08- CHILE: Outrage over military ceremony for Pinochet
27/08- CHILE: Supreme court strips Pinochet of immunity
25/08- PARAGUAY: Supermarkets closed for safety reasons
24/08- URUGUAY: Vázquez sees long road to recovery

Caribbean & Central America
24/08- CUBA: Rift with Panama exposes flawed foreign policy
27/08- CUBA: Havana severs diplomatic ties with Panama
23/08- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Fernández restructures army
27/08- GUATEMALA: Government rejoins G-20
25/08- HAITI: UN sets up fund for 2005 elections
27/08- HAITI: Oslo talks pave way for fresh elections
24/08- HONDURAS: Terror alert issued after al-Qaida tip-off
25/08- NICARAGUA: Fiallos released on bail
26/08- NICARAGUA: Bolaños in war of words with judiciary
26/08- PANAMA: Rift with Cuba grows

Mexico & Nafta
23/08- MEXICO: VW strike ends
24/08- MEXICO: Second-tier drug smuggler nabbed
25/08- MEXICO: Polls show López Obrador still ahead
26/08- MEXICO: Congress calls for end to Fox-López Obrador row
27/08- MEXICO: Fox twitches at report of Salinas meeting

Regional Statistics
23/08- Latest data
24/08- Latest data
25/08- Latest data
26/08- Latest data
27/08- Latest data

Afternoon features
23/08 Regional Focus - Regional Focus (Mon)
24/08 People Profile - People Profile (Tue)
25/08 Washington Watch - Washington Watch (Wed)
26/08 Security Update -Security Update (Thu)

The Week Ahead (28 August- 3 September):

Monday
BRAZIL: Summit in Brasília between Roberto Lavagna, Argentina's economy minister, and Antonio Palocci, Brazil's finance minister.
URUGUAY: IMF head Rodrigo Rato visits.

Tuesday
ARGENTINA: IMF's head Rodrigo Rato meets President Néstor Kirchner and Roberto Lavagna, economy minister, to discuss economic policy.

Wednesday
PANAMA: Inauguration ceremony of President-elect Martín Torrijos
MEXICO: President Fox opens congress with his fourth Informe (state of the union address).
BELIZE: Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian visits Prime Minister Said Musa.

Thursday and Friday
CHILE: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) finance ministers meeting in Santiago; IMF head Rodrigo Rato present.

Friday
BRAZIL: IMF head Rodrigo Rato visits.

03 September 2004

03 September 2004 Hits: 411

Andean
01/09- BOLIVIA: Congress approves contract cancellations
31/08- COLOMBIA: FARC accepts principle of negotiation
01/09- COLOMBIA: Uribe rues fate of anti-terror law
02/09- COLOMBIA: Government sweetens deal for insurgents
03/09- COLOMBIA: Government wants third IMF loan deal
02/09- ECUADOR: Bucaram could return within a month
03/09- PERU: No end in sight for copper strike
31/08- VENEZUELA: Business sets terms for deal
01/09- VENEZUELA: Investment picks up
02/09- VENEZUELA: Government puts Fedecamaras in its place
03/09- VENEZUELA: Regional election date moved

Brazil & Southern Cone
31/08- ARGENTINA: Kirchner ups his IMF demands
01/09- ARGENTINA: Kirchner defiant as Rato visits
02/09- ARGENTINA: Supreme court judge quits
03/09- ARGENTINA: AMIA suspects released
31/08- BRAZIL: Commercial banks raise interest rates
01/09- BRAZIL: GDP shows record growth
01/09- BRAZIL: PT struggling in municipal elections
02/09- BRAZIL: Pressure for investment in infrastructure
02/09- BRAZIL: Government proposes creation of agrarian court
03/09- BRAZIL: Vice-president and politicians caught in scandals
03/09- BRAZIL: Record energy consumption in August
03/09- BRAZIL: More money for disarmament
31/08- CHILE: Pinochet defence demands dropping of Guzmán
01/09- CHILE: Date for Pinochet questioning announced

Caribbean & Central America
31/08- HAITI: Former soldiers seize control of town
02/09- HAITI: Former soldiers' rebellion picks up momentum
03/09- HAITI: Government rules out restoration of army
31/08- EL SALVADOR: Saca launches tough new anti-gang initiative
01/09- GUATEMALA: Seven die in bloody clash with police
01/09- PANAMA: Torrijos faces tricky foreign-policy test
02/09- PANAMA: Torrijos lambasts predecessor
03/09- CUBA: Power cuts expected until year-end

Mexico & Nafta
31/08- MEXICO: Giant new oilfield found
31/08- MEXICO: Demonstration throws down challenge to Fox
01/09- MEXICO: PRD promises to be good
02/09- MEXICO: Fox tries to shift blame to congress
02/09- MEXICO: Creel says he will fight accusation
03/09- MEXICO: Montemayor extradited

Regional statistics
31/08- Latest data
01/09- Latest data...
02/09- Latest data
03/09- Latest data

Afternoon features
31/08 People Profile - People Profile (Tue)
01/09 Washington Watch - Washington Watch (Wed)
02/09 Security Update -Security Update (Thu)

The Week Ahead (4 September - 10 September):

Saturday
BOLIVIA: The second annual meeting of public security chiefs from across the region concludes in Santa Cruz.

Sunday
MEXICO: Elections for governor, state assembly and mayors in Veracruz, the third most important electoral district in the country. The PRI should hold the governorship.

Monday
BRAZIL: Congress to vote changes to the country's regulatory agencies

Thursday
ARGENTINA: Economy minister Roberto Lavagna visits Brasília for talks with his Brazilian counterpart Antônio Palocci.

10 September 2004

10 September 2004 Hits: 237

Andean
06/09- BOLIVIA: Congress ponders raising oil tax to 50%
08/09- BOLIVIA: Mesa tilts towards renationalisation
06/09- COLOMBIA: Farc proposes 3-day negotiation zone
07/09- COLOMBIA: Soldiers held after trade union killings
07/09- COLOMBIA: Liberal Party expels legislators
08/09- COLOMBIA: PDI suggests alliance to defeat re-election
06/09- VENEZUELA: Opposition clings to fraud claim
08/09- ECUADOR: Head of tax office fired
09/09- ECUADOR: Opposition to Gutiérrez shows its strength
07/09- PERU: Yanacocha suspends gold exploration
09/09- PERU: Cajamarca goes on strike over gold prospecting
10/09- PERU: Toledo to use mining royalties to boost military
07/09- VENEZUELA: Capriles released
08/09- VENEZUELA: Opposition pushes on with fraud claims
09/09- VENEZUELA: Government forecasts normality in 2005
10/09-VENEZUELA: Chávez angles for US invitation

Brazil & Southern Cone
06/09- ARGENTINA: Controversy over minimum wage
08/09- ARGENTINA: Alfonsín repeats coup warning
09/09- ARGENTINA: New trade spat looms with Brazil
10/09- ARGENTINA: Petrobras to invest US$200m
06/09- BRAZIL: Trade unions fighting for a slice of the cake
06/09- BRAZIL: IMF approves economic policy
07/09- BRAZIL: Economy surges again, driven by industry
08/09- BRAZIL: Government preparing to issue new bonds
09/09- BRAZIL: Government steps up campaign in São Paulo
10/09- BRAZIL: Moody's upgrade Brazil
10/09- BRAZIL: Government vs. NYT part 2
10/09- PARAGUAY: Warrant ordered for Stroessner
06/09- URUGUAY: Rising unemployment good news for left
07/09- URUGUAY: Vázquez promises major social spending

Caribbean & Central America
08/09- COSTA RICA: Crisis for Pacheco as four ministers quit
09/09- COSTA RICA: Two more ministers resign
10/09- COSTA RICA: Quits Iraq war coalition
09/09- EL SALVADOR: Mixed reviews for Saca's first 100 days
06/09- EL SALVADOR: Saravia found guilty of Romero's murder
06/09- GUATEMALA: FRG in crisis
09/09- HAITI: Ex-sergeant calls for military uprising
07/09- HONDURAS: Maduro pulls support for Parlacen
07/09- PANAMA: Venezuela restores full relations
08/09- PANAMA: Former ambassador to Cuba arrested
10/09- PANAMA: Canal tolls break US$1bn mark

Mexico & Nafta
06/09- MEXICO: Herrera edges ahead in Veracruz election
07/09- MEXICO: Fox makes gesture to López Obrador
08/09- MEXICO: Interior ministry to reveal details of Cuba row
08/09- MEXICO: Fox produces a tight budget
09/09- MEXICO: Government publishes 2005 budget
09/09- MEXICO: Creel suggests Fox-Amlo meet on 14 September
10/09- MEXICO: PAN to complain about Veracruz result

Regional statistics
06/09- Latest data
07/09- Latest data
08/09- Latest data
09/09- Latest data
10/09- Latest data

Afternoon features
06/09 Regional Focus - Andean Group
07/09 People Profile - Samuel Lewis Navarro
08/09 Washington Watch - 8 September 2004
09/09 Security Update- Chávez purges his own élite commando unit

The Week Ahead (11 - 17 September)

Monday-Thursday
BRAZIL: President Lula da Silva entertains the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi.

Tuesday
MEXICO: President Vicente Fox meets governors. The mayor of Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, might attend.

Wednesday
BRAZIL: Decision on interest rates from central bank
BRAZIL: Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez visits.

Wednesday-Thursday
BRAZIL: Amazon Region Cooperation Council and Foreign Ministers of Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization meetings in Manaus.

Friday
MEXICO: Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi continues his tour of Latin America. He is expected to sign a bilateral free trade agreement with President Vicente Fox.

17 September 2004

17 September 2004 Hits: 267

Andean
14/09- BOLIVIA: Goni broadcast draws reaction
15/09- BOLIVIA: Airports closed because of Amazon fire
17/09- BOLIVIA: Oil companies threaten to pull out
13/09- COLOMBIA: ELN conditions peace talks
14/09- COLOMBIA: Londoño barred from public office
15/09- COLOMBIA: Wrangling continues with rebels
17/09- COLOMBIA: Indigenous march ends
13/09- ECUADOR: Bucaram makes TV plea for return
15/09- ECUADOR: Galapagos chief installed amid protests
16/09- ECUADOR: US will not sink boats without permission
17/09- ECUADOR: Police chief accused of people-trafficking
14/09- PERU: Government on edge as teachers plan strike
15/09- PERU: Toledo denounces attempt to oust him
16/09- PERU: Drilling halted at Yanacocha gold mine
17/09- PERU: García's popularity on the wane
13/09- VENEZUELA: Chávez appoints two new ministers
15/09- VENEZUELA: Chávez and Lula meet in Manaus
16/09- VENEZUELA: Opposition objects to constitutional changes
17/09- VENEZUELA: Tariff revenues surge

Brazil & Southern Cone
14/09- ARGENTINA: Lavagna rejects bondholder talks
15/09- ARGENTINA: Net closes on Judge Galeano
16/09- ARGENTINA: Government to cut VAT
17/09- ARGENTINA: Growth slows as budget unveiled
13/09- BRAZIL: Essential bills stuck in congress
13/09- BRAZIL: Market prepares for interest rate increase
14/09- BRAZIL: Government pressures congress over PPP
15/09- BRAZIL: Public-private partnership bill vote delayed
15/09- BRAZIL: Tough election in São Paulo
16/09- BRAZIL: Interest rates increase
17/09- BRAZIL: Government re-launches social programmes
17/09- BRAZIL: No quorum on bio-security bill vote
13/09- CHILE: Violence marks anniversary of 1973 coup
16/09- CHILE: Pinochet hospitalised
17/09- CHILE: Pardon debate heats up
13/09- MERCOSUR: Talks with EU restart
14/09- URUGUAY: Concern over piquetero arrival
16/09- URUGUAY: Row over retirement savings ahead of vote

Caribbean & Central America
14/09- COSTA RICA: Pacheco rebuilds his team
13/09- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Tax reform under US pressure
14/09- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Bank releases bleak figures
15/09- EL SALVADOR: Iraq the only stain on Saca's popularity
13/09- HAITI: UN urges government to disarm former soldiers
16/09- HAITI: Government misses disarmament deadline
16/09- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Fernández gets tough on violence

Mexico & Nafta
13/09- MEXICO: Buganza launches peaceful protest
14/09- MEXICO: Fox snubs López Obrador
15/09- MEXICO: Governors press for bigger share of oil windfall
16/09- MEXICO: PRD gets into a complete muddle in Tlaxcala
16/09- MEXICO: Macedo embarrasses Fox
17/09- MEXICO: Mexico and Cuba mend relations

Regional statistics
13/09- Latest data
14/09- Latest data
15/09- Latest data
16/09- Latest data
17/09- Latest data

Afternoon features
Regional report - Mexico & Nafta
People profile - Federico Carrillo Zurcher
Washington watch - 15 September 2004
Security update - Piquetero activists try to adapt to Kirchner's tactics

The Week Ahead - 18-23 September

Monday
BRAZIL: 'Alliance Against Hunger' meeting in New York backed by Brazil's President Lula da Silva. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, French President Jacques Chirac and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos will also attend among others

Tuesday
First day of UN General Assembly. On the sidelines, the foreign minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim, will meet counterparts from Germany, India and Japan to discuss mutual support for their respective campaigns to get permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

Wednesday
ARGENTINA: President Néstor Kirchner addresses the Council of the Americas
MEXICO: President Vicente Fox meets leaders of the biggest party in congress and the country, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI).

Thursday
MEXICO: President Vicente Fox meets leaders of Andrés Manuel López Obrador's Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD).
REGION: Special Meeting of the OAS Permanent Council on the occasion of the assumption of office by Secretary General Miguel Angel Rodríguez.

24 September 2004

24 September 2004 Hits: 335

Andean
24/09- BOLIVIA: Government halts talks with oil companies
21/09- COLOMBIA: AUC chief assassinated
20/09- COLOMBIA: Venezuela ties threatened by troop killings
22/09- COLOMBIA: AUC remains committed to peace process
23/09- COLOMBIA: Homicide still principal cause of death
24/09- COLOMBIA: Truck strike continues
22/09- ECUADOR: Pachakutik pushes for referendum on Gutiérrez
23/09- ECUADOR: Tension and violence in the Galapagos
24/09- ECUADOR: Petroecuador's production reduced by strike
20/09- PERU: Solari quits ruling PP
21/09- PERU: Coca paradise in central highlands
22/09- PERU: García hints he might not stand in elections
23/09- PERU: Second bid to extradite Fujimori
24/09- PERU: Fujimori vows to return on own volition
20/09- VENEZUELA: Chávez rejects re-election idea
21/09- VENEZUELA: Opposition plans for single candidates
22/09- VENEZUELA: Opposition alliance breaks up
23/09- VENEZUELA: Chávez adds to border tension

Brazil & Southern Cone
20/09- ARGENTINA: Kirchner fires central bank chief
21/09- ARGENTINA: Rato makes clear IMF demands
24/09- ARGENTINA: Confusion over next year's surplus
20/09- BRAZIL: Lula to address global leaders in the UN
20/09- BRAZIL: Government to authorise GM crops
21/09- BRAZIL: White House criticises Brazilian proposal
22/09- BRAZIL: PT accused of wrongdoings on electoral campaign
23/09- BRAZIL: IAEA to inspect nuclear installations
24/09- BRAZIL: Central bank readjusts inflation target for 2005
24/09- BRAZIL: Unemployment increases, wages fall
20/09- CHILE: Cheyre demands politicians take responsibility
21/09- CHILE: Deputies travel to US to study 'pinocuentas'
23/09- CHILE: Divers find clues to the 'disappeared'
24/09- CHILE: Violent crime on the up
22/09- PARAGUAY: Peasants' protests intensify
21/09- URUGUAY: Tabaré Vázquez raises corruption issue
22/09- URUGUAY: Left gains in polls
23/09- URUGUAY: Further good news for left in polls

Central America & Caribbean
20/09- CUBA: US recants biological weapons claim
23/09- CUBA: Acclaim for House decision to lift travel restrictions
24/09- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Fiscal-reform bill passed
22/09- GUATEMALA: Berger promises to support Ciciacs
20/09- HAITI: Latortue blames UN for violence
21/09- HAITI: Tentative accord reached with rebel soldiers

Mexico & Nafta
20/09- MEXICO: Constitutional crisis looms
21/09- MEXICO: López Obrador asks for a meeting with Fox
22/09- MEXICO: Third woman plans to succeed her spouse
22/09- MEXICO: López Obrador to meet Fox on 29 September
23/09- MEXICO: Congress rejects call for Fox to testify
24/09- MEXICO: Fox meets PRD

Regional statistics
20/09- Latest data
21/09- Latest data
22/09- Latest data
23/09- Latest data
24/09- Latest data

Afternoon features
Regional focus - Caribbean & Central America
People Profile - Juan Guzmán
Washington Watch - 22 September 2004
Security update - Saca claims early success for anticrime drive

The Week Ahead - 24 September - 1 October 2004

Monday
COLOMBIA: Congress starts to debate fiscal reform bill including controversial VAT raise.

Monday
HAITI: The foreign minister of Canada, Pierre Pettigrew, and his French counterpart, Michel Barnier, arrive for two-day visit to discuss economic reconstruction.

Tuesday
BOLIVIA: The energy law due to be published by congress.

Wednesday
MEXICO: President Vicente Fox holds a face-to-face meeting with the mayor of Mexico City Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

BARBADOS: Appeal hearing for two convicted murderers, who were to be hanged on 21 September but have received a stay of execution. Britain's Privy Council, the final court of appeal for several Caribbean countries, ruled in July that the death penalty was unconstitutional.

1 October 2004

01 October 2004 Hits: 329

Andean
01/10- BOLIVIA: Relations with Chile grow tense again
27/04- COLOMBIA: Paramilitaries' grip on Colombia detailed
28/09- COLOMBIA: Government targets AUC boss for extradition
29/09- COLOMBIA: Uribe still tops election polls
30/09- COLOMBIA: US prioritises Colombia in Andean FTA
30/09- ECUADOR: Electoral reform row could delay October vote
01/10- ECUADOR: Disputes must be resolved ahead of FTA
28/09- PERU: Toledo slumps in polls
29/09- PERU: Police free 17 tourists taken hostage by coca growers
30/09- PERU: Toledo's brother forbidden to leave country
01/10- PERU: Teachers' union infiltrated by guerrillas
28/09- VENEZUELA: Opposition gets a boost as Zamora resigns
30/09- VENEZUELA: Chávez declares war on bureaucracy

Brazil & Southern Cone
27/04- ARGENTINA: Political parties soar
28/09- ARGENTINA: Government analyses supreme court reform
30/09- ARGENTINA: Assassination plot prompts new police purge
27/04- BRAZIL: Ministers told to support PT's candidates
28/09- BRAZIL: Meirelles asserts primacy of monetary policy
28/09- BRAZIL: PT leading in two races, but problems in São Paulo
29/09- BRAZIL: Corruption still a problem
29/09- BRAZIL: President Lula da Silva's support influences votes
30/09- BRAZIL: Lula defends right to campaign
30/09- BRAZIL: Economy gaining strength, says IMF
01/10- BRAZIL: PT recovers in the polls
01/10- BRAZIL: Central bank releases second-quarter data
27/04- CHILE: Pinochet interrogated on Condor
28/09- CHILE: Date set for Pinochet medical
29/09- CHILE: Consul to Bolivia recalled
30/09- CHILE: Bachelet, Alvear stand down in cabinet reshuffle
27/04- MERCOSUR: US air force joins training operation
29/09- PARAGUAY: Wasmosy cleared

Caribbean & Central America
01/10- COSTA RICA: Latest scandal implicates Rodríguez, Pacheco
30/09- CUBA: Factories closed to deal with power crisis
28/09- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: US criticises fiscal reform bill
29/09- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Solving the power crisis
01/10- GUATEMALA: UN mission issues final report
27/04- HAITI: From failed state to criminal state
30/09- HAITI: UN appeals for peacekeepers to protect aid convoys
01/10- HAITI: Three police officers shot dead in violent protest
28/09- NICARAGUA: Public calls for changing of the guard
29/09- PANAMA: Torrijos takes soft approach to mara problem

Mexico & Nafta
27/04- MEXICO : Cardinal urges reconciliation
27/04- MEXICO: Cemex buys RMC
28/09- MEXICO: PRD candidate shot dead in Oaxaca
30/09- MEXICO: Fox meets López Obrador
01/10- MEXICO: Fox takes a pop at López Obrador

Region

27/04- REGION: US reputation takes a knock across the region
29/09- REGION: Thirteen tonnes of cocaine seized off Mexican coast
29/09- REGION: Oil prices surge again

Regional Statistics
27/09- Latest data
28/09- Latest data
29/09- Latest data
01/10- Latest data

Afternoon feature
27/09- Regional report - Brazil & Southern Cone
28/09- People profile - Andrés Manuel López Obrador
29/09- Washington watch - 29 September 2004
30/09- Security Update - Brazilian police want attention to their own fatality rate

The Week Ahead - 2-9 October 2004
Saturday-Monday
GUYANA: Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhoaxing visits to discuss a 30m yuan (US$3.6m) grant to the government.

Sunday
BRAZIL: Municipal elections.

Monday
BRAZIL: Four-day Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2004 in Rio de Janeiro

Tuesday
MEXICO: Senior law enforcement officials and security experts from around world meet in Cancún for a five-day Interpol General Assembly. The conference will focus on terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking and financial crime

Wednesday
ARGENTINA: Arms' dealer Diego Palleros, a key witness in the arms-trafficking probe dating back to the presidency of Carlos Menem, will present his testimony in court. Argentine weapons were illegally shipped to Croatia and Ecuador during 1990s in defiance of UN weapons embargoes; Menem was held under house arrest for seven months in 2001 during failed attempt to prosecute him on charges he headed an "illicit association" dealing in weapons.

8 October 2004

08 October 2004 Hits: 285

Andean
05/10- BOLIVIA: Government to send delegation over Arica
05/10- BOLIVIA: Gas bill horrifies government
08/10- BOLIVIA: Huge new oil and gas field found
04/10- COLOMBIA: Truckers snub Uribe meeting
05/10- COLOMBIA: Government claims success against ACC
06/10- COLOMBIA: Truckers strike ends
08/10- COLOMBIA: AUC offers to demobilise 3,000 paramilitaries
07/10- ECUADOR: Municipal elections start to get messy
04/10- PERU: Fujimori accused of illicit enrichment
05/10- PERU: Fujimori takes a pop at Toledo
06/10- PERU: Ruling PP starts to break up
04/10- VENEZUELA: Opposition gloomy about regional elections
05/10- VENEZUELA: Copei threatens to pull out
06/10- VENEZUELA: Mixed signals from the US
06/10- VENEZUELA: Chávez fires broadside against neo-liberalism
07/10- VENEZUELA: Foreign minister responds enthusiastically to US
08/10- VENEZUELA: General criticises Plan Colombia

Brazil & Southern Cone
04/10- ARGENTINA: Chile's new foreign minister irks Kirchner
05/10- ARGENTINA: Government improves offer to pension funds
07/10- ARGENTINA: Timetable for debt rescheduling outlined
08/10- ARGENTINA: Congress pursues another supreme court judge
04/10- BRAZIL: PT heading for victory
05/10- BRAZIL: PT and PSDB to fight in 2006
06/10- BRAZIL: Nestlé loses battle for Garoto
06/10- BRAZIL: Unexpected fall in inflation
07/10- BRAZIL: PT and PSDB preparing for first attacks
07/10- BRAZIL: Senate approves bio-security bill
04/10- CHILE: Pinochet filed 'maliciously incomplete' tax returns
06/10- CHILE: Trade spat with Colombia escalates
07/10- CHILE: Senate approves constitutional reform
04/10- PARAGUAY: Government presents land tax
05/10- URUGUAY: Polls differ on Vázquez lead

Caribbean & Central America
07/10- CENTRAL AMERICA: Maras have no links to terrorists
07/10- CUBA: Kerry accuses Republicans of going soft on Castro
06/10- GUATEMALA: Stein claims link between maras and al-Qaida
04/10- HAITI: Police arrest leading Aristide supporters after unrest
08/10- HAITI: Chaos is exaggerated, says head of UN force
05/10- REGION: OAS chief under pressure to quit on bribery charges
06/10- REGION: Pressure increases on Rodríguez to resign
08/10- REGION: Argentina asks OAS chief to stand down
08/10- NICARAGUA: Bolaños' future in hands of hostile congress

Mexico & Nafta
04/10- MEXICO: Gil speaks out on energy
04/10- MEXICO: PRI picks up southern cities
05/10- MEXICO: PRI 'victory' sours
06/10- MEXICO: IFE says spousal succession undesirable
07/10- MEXICO: Anti-crime chief denies Colombianisation of Mexico
07/10- MEXICO: PRD deputies annoy legislators with direct action
08/10- MEXICO: PRD interrupts congress again
08/10- MEXICO: Inflation highest for four years

Regional statistics
04/10- Latest data
05/10- Latest data
06/10- Latest data
07/10- Latest data
08/10- Latests data

Afternoon features
04/10 Regional Report - Andean Group
05/10 People Profile - Ignacio Walker Prieto
06/10 Washington Watch - 6 October 2004
07/10 Security Update - Dominican police uncover internal stolen-car scam

The Week Ahead (9-15 October 2004)

Saturday
BOLIVIA: A Bolivian delegation visits Arica, Chile to discuss the privatisation of the port.

Tuesday
MEXICO: Congress is expected to vote on a measure backed by the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) and the governing Partido Acción Nacional, to try to strip Mexico City of finance.

Friday
BRAZIL: WTO rules on challenge to EU sugar regime led by Brazil and Australia.

NICARAGUA: President Enrique Bolaños sends the 2005 budget to congress. The opposition says it will not back it unless it includes substantial salary increases in the health and education sectors. Congress will also vote this week on whether to remove Bolaños from power for failing to divulge full details of his campaign finances to the comptroller's office.

15 October 2004

22 October 2004 Hits: 281

Andean
12/10- BOLIVIA: Congressional commission votes to prosecute Goni
13/10- BOLIVIA: Anti-Goni vote looks short
14/10- BOLIVIA: Congress decides to prosecute Goni and his cabinet
15/10- BOLIVIA: Goni's lawyers belittle congressional decision
11/10- COLOMBIA: US approves troop increase
12/10- COLOMBIA: Government plays down ELN-Farc alliance
12/10- COLOMBIA: Paramilitary chief captured
12/10- ECUADOR: Acosta quits Sociedad Patriotica
14/10- ECUADOR: Smaller parties warn of 'chaos' in elections
12/10- PERU: In the hunt for vacant OAS post
15/10- PERU: Lan Perú suspended
11/10- VENEZUELA: Government jacks up oil taxes
11/10- VENEZUELA: Thin turnout in election rehearsal
13/10- VENEZUELA: Opposed to Flores
15/10- VENEZUELA: Opposition complains about voting register

Brazil & Southern Cone
12/10- ARGENTINA: Kirchner wants Judge Boggiano to stay
14/10- ARGENTINA: AMIA prosecution continues
15/10- ARGENTINA: Dirty war exile compensated
11/10- BRAZIL: Landowners move against the agrarian court
11/10- BRAZIL: Lula fined R$50,000 for illegal campaign
12/10- BRAZIL: Indigenous rights campaigner murdered
13/10- BRAZIL: Rio reacts against article on drugs and violence
13/10- BRAZIL: Brazil tumbles down FDI ranking
14/10- BRAZIL: Drug baron killed by police
14/10- BRAZIL: Brazil falls on WEF's competitiveness ranking
15/10- BRAZIL: Petrobrás announces readjustment in fuel prices
15/10- BRAZIL: Planting of GM soya authorised by Lula
11/10- CHILE: Bachelet tops opinion poll
14/10- PARAGUAY: Interior minister, police chief sacked
12/10- URUGUAY: Larrañaga reaches out to all comers
13/10- URUGUAY: Larrañaga accuses Vázquez of copying policies
15/10- URUGUAY: Row over EP-FA's guerrilla members

Central America & Caribbean
13/10- COSTA RICA: Thousands march against corruption
14/10- COSTA RICA: Tovar demands explanation for Taiwanese money
15/10- COSTA RICA: Suicide latest blow to PUSC
11/10- EL SALVADOR: Tense relations between FMLN and government
14/10- GUATEMALA: Rosenthal accepts nomination for OAS post
13/10- HAITI: US condemns violent attacks by pro-Aristide loyalists
14/10- HAITI: Ex-soldiers converge on capital
15/10- HAITI: Brazil appeals for more troops to quell violence
11/10- NICARAGUA: Opposition ready to remove Bolaños
11/10- REGION: Scandal forces OAS secretary-general to resign

Mexico & Nafta
11/10- MEXICO: Ponce arrested
12/10- MEXICO: Ponce wants to face Ahumada
13/10- MEXICO: PRI compromise approved
14/10- MEXICO: Another dirty trick hurts PRD
15/10- MEXICO: Creel blusters over latest tape

Regional statistics
11/10- Latest data
12/10- Latest data
13/10- Latest data
14/10- Latest data
15/10- Latest data

Afternoon features

11/10 Regional Focus - Mexico & Nafta
12/10 People Profile - Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira
13/10 Washington Watch - 13 October 2004
14/10 Security Update - Rio mayor again calls for federal help against crime

The Week Ahead - 16 - 22 October 2004

Friday
COLOMBIA: President Alvaro Uribe visits his Ecuadorean counterpart Lucio Gutiérrez for talks about border security and migration problems.

Saturday
REGION: Luigi Einaudi, the deputy secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS) takes over on a temporary basis from Miguel Angel Rodríguez, who was forced to resign as secretary general in the face of corruption allegations.

Sunday
ECUADOR: Municipal elections; 22 governors, 219 mayors and thousands of other posts.

Monday
BRAZIL: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts to visit Brazil to examine their uranium-enriching facilities.
BRAZIL: Oil workers to go on strike if the state-owned oil company Petrobrás salaries increases are rejected by the Oil Workers Federation (FUP).

Tuesday
PERU: Peru's second largest airline Lan Perú will take to the skies again after a judicial ruling grounded it for five days stating that the company was violating the country's domestic ownership laws.

22 October 2004

22 October 2004 Hits: 247

Andean
18/10- BOLIVIA: Mesa message annoys right and left
19/10- BOLIVIA: Pressure mounts on Mesa as thousands hit La Paz
20/10- BOLIVIA: Mesa seeks to appease protesters
18/10- COLOMBIA: New security agreement with Ecuador
19/10- COLOMBIA: AUC demobilisation offer improved
20/10- COLOMBIA: EU to offer support to paramilitary peace process
21/10- COLOMBIA: Mexico calls for ELN talks
22/10- COLOMBIA: Government rules out paramilitaries in army
18/10- ECUADOR: PSP looks set to survive elections
19/10- ECUADOR: Gutiérrez promises not to challenge vote
20/10- ECUADOR: Tough times ahead for Gutií¨rrez and the PSP
21/10- ECUADOR: Congress seven votes short of impeaching Gutiérrez
18/10- PERU: Government tables Fujimori extradition request
20/10- PERU: Three killed in coca clash
21/10- PERU: Coca growers give up hydroelectric plant
18/10- VENEZUELA: Carter Center and OAS drop supervision
19/10- VENEZUELA: US line remains unclear
20/10- VENEZUELA: Government still warning of coup
21/10- VENEZUELA: Army calls for more troops on Colombian border

Brazil & Southern Cone
20/10- ARGENTINA: Kirchner's government scores well on corruption
22/10- ARGENTINA: Kirchner and Duhalde united in regional vision
18/10- CHILE: Pinochet suffering from mild dementia
20/10- CHILE: Trouble with the neighbours
22/10- CHILE: New consul appointed to Bolivia
18/10- BRAZIL: Shoot Down Law comes into force
19/10- BRAZIL: Fraud on government's social programme
19/10- BRAZIL: PT kick-starts run-off campaigns
20/10- BRAZIL: Army retracts note defending the military regime
20/10- BRAZIL: IAEA finishes inspections in Resende
21/10- BRAZIL: Copom surprises and increases interest rate by 0.5%
22/10- BRAZIL: Copom's tactics are heavily criticised
21/10- MERCOSUR: EU trade deal on the backburner
19/10- REGION: CAN, Mercosur seal FTA
21/10- REGION: No major changes in corruption levels
22/10- URUGUAY: Campaigning closes

Caribbean & Central America
18/10- HAITI: Kerry blamed for pro-Aristide violence
18/10- NICARAGUA: Bolaños seeks OAS backing
19/10- NICARAGUA: Bolaños strikes back
20/10- NICARAGUA: Bolaños staves off threat
21/10- NICARAGUA: Bolaños faces fresh charges of corruption

Mexico & Nafta
18/10- MEXICO: Ponce targeted, Bejarano poses problem
19/10- MEXICO: New video links Ahumada and Salinas
21/10- MEXICO: Creel denounces latest Ahumada video
22/10- MEXICO: Protests after Wal-Mart levels historic site

Regional Statistics
18/10- Latest data
19/10- Latest data
20/10- Latest data
21/10- Latest data
22/10- Latest data

Afternoon features
18/10 Regional focus - Caribbean & Central America
19/10 People profile - Alberto Keinya Fujimori
20/10 Washington Watch - 20 October 2004
21/10 Security Update - Paraguay's government fears surge of vigilantism

The Week Ahead - 23-29 October 2004

Saturday
PARAGUAY: The National Front of Struggle for Sovereignty and Life, will hold a national assembly to decide whether to stage a national strike on 18 November if the government fails, in its judgement, to respond to a series of campesino and worker demands.

COLOMBIA: Deadline for Colombian Armed Forces to destroy remaining landmines in their arsenals in compliance with Colombia's commitments under the 1999 Ottawa Convention.

Saturday-Sunday
BARBADOS: Foreign ministers from the Caribbean Community, Caricom meet. Top of the agenda will be the deteriorating political situation in Haiti. Caricom has still refused to recognise the interim government of Gérard Latortue.

Monday-Friday:
ECUADOR: Fifth round of free-trade talks with US in Guayaquil.

Monday:
ST KITTS AND NEVIS: General elections.

MEXICO: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) holds annual general meeting in Mexico City. Mexican President Vicente Fox and Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos will address the stakeholders' meeting on Wednesday.

Thursday:
CUBA: UN General Assembly votes on a Cuban resolution calling for the US trade embargo to be condemned.

Friday::
PERU: A new criminal code comes into force. Police will be permitted to arrest people who are not in possession of their national identity documents and to hold them for up to four hours.

29 October 2004

29 October 2004 Hits: 257

Andean
25/10- BOLIVIA: Energy law agreed, Mesa takes another pop at Chile
28/10- BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz delivers autonomy ultimatum
25/10- COLOMBIA: Farc's capabilities undiminished
26/10- COLOMBIA: Prisoner swap revived
28/10- COLOMBIA: Paramilitaries suggest role as security guards
27/10- ECUADOR: PSC fire opening shots of constitutional coup
28/10- ECUADOR: Protests mar free-trade talks
29/10- ECUADOR: Four parties present motion against Gutiérrez
26/10- PERU: Government defends frigate purchases
26/10- VENEZUELA: Government protests against media law criticism
27/10- VENEZUELA: Abstention rate worries the government
28/10- VENEZUELA: Chávez threatened with fine
29/10- VENEZUELA: Campaigns close for regional and municipal elections

Brazil & Southern Cone
25/10- ARGENTINA: Mixed views on Mendoza debt-swap
26/10- ARGENTINA: Supreme court set to rule on pesification
27/10- ARGENTINA: Supreme court backs 'pesification'
25/10- BRAZIL: Lula will not take part in campaigns
25/10- BRAZIL: Meirelles denies clash with government
26/10- BRAZIL: Central bank's tactic backfires according to markets
26/10- BRAZIL: The Diniz affair haunts back
27/10- BRAZIL: Government signals it will open dirty war files
27/10- BRAZIL: Diniz is guilty, says Rio's assembly
28/10- BRAZIL: Federal police step up investigation of Kroll
29/10- BRAZIL: Copom explains 0.5% interest increase
29/10- BRAZIL: PT dreaming of a red Sunday
28/10- CHILE: Human-rights groups criticise use of anti-terror law
29/10- CHILE: Campaigns close for municipal elections
27/10- PARAGUAY: Treasury minister withdraws resignation
25/10- URUGUAY: Battle for undecideds intensifies
26/10- URUGUAY: Left furious at US investment deal
27/10- URUGUAY: 'Blancos' close campaign
29/10- URUGUAY: Late swing to Vázquez shows first-round win

Caribbean & Central America
27/10- COSTA RICA: Another minister resigns
28/10- COSTA RICA: Figueres admits receiving US$900,000
29/10- COSTA RICA: Figueres suspended from the PLN
26/10- CUBA: Castro restricts dollar
27/10- HAITI: Another policeman killed
25/10- NICARAGUA: Bolaños claims OAS rejects move against him

Mexico & Nafta
25/10- MEXICO: Alarm over security breach
25/10- MEXICO: Estrada Cajigal under threat again
26/10- MEXICO: López Obrador escapes from one set of charges
27/10- MEXICO: Mixed signals from the markets
28/10- MEXICO: Central bank issues warnings
29/10- MEXICO: Congress ups budget

Regional statistics
25/10- Latest data
26/10- Latest data
27/10- Latest data
28/10- Latest data
29/10- Latest data

Afternoon Features

25/10- Regional Report - Brazil & Southern Cone
26/10- People Profile - Danilo Astori
27/10- Washington Watch - 27 October 2004
28/10- Security Update - Glut of firearms fuels doubling of Nicaragua's murder rate

The Week Ahead - 30 October - 4 November 2004

Sunday
URUGUAY: General election. The latest polls expect Tabaré Vazquez, of the leftwing coalition Encuento Progresista-Frente Amplio to win in the first round.
VENEZUELA: Regional and municipal elections. The best the opposition to President Chávez can hope for is to retain control of the states of Zulia, Monagas, Bolivar, Carabobo and Miranda. Few expect them to hold all these important states.
CHILE: Municipal elections. Eight million Chileans will vote for 345 mayors and 2,144 councillors. The results should provide a good indicator of who will win the presidential elections in 2005.
BRAZIL: Second round municipal elections in Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre.

Tuesday
U.S: Presidential elections. According to a survey recently conducted by the Santiago-based polling firm Latinobarometro, negative opinions of the United States held throughout Latin America and the Caribbean have doubled since President George W. Bush took office in 2001.

Wednesday
COLOMBIA: Wednesday, 3 November: Some 1600 members of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia are set to hand over their weapons.

5 November 2004

05 November 2004 Hits: 293

Andean
03/11- BOLIVIA: Government fears country will break up
04/11- BOLIVIA: Radicals force pace on energy law
05/11- BOLIVIA: Rapprochement with Chile
02/11- COLOMBIA: Doubts over paramilitary demobilisation
04/11- COLOMBIA: Government cites Farc plot to assassinate Uribe
05/11- COLOMBIA: Demobilisation details announced
04/11- ECUADOR: Gutiérrez to 'fight to the death'
05/11- ECUADOR: Opposition launches impeachment bid
01/11- PERU: Sánchez fills energy and mines vacancy
05/11- PERU: Sendero protest as Guzmán goes on retrial
01/11- VENEZUELA: Opposition hangs on
02/11- VENEZUELA: Observers confirm election results
04/11- VENEZUELA: Government appeals for better relations with US

Brazil & Southern Cone
01/11- REGION: What the election results mean
01/11- ARGENTINA: AMIA ruling attacks Menem
02/11- ARGENTINA: Government unveils final debt offer
03/11- ARGENTINA: Concern over human-rights abuses
05/11- ARGENTINA: Controversial budget passed
01/11- BRAZIL: Mixed results for the PT
02/11- BRAZIL: Serra asks for transparency
02/11- BRAZIL: PT and PSDB search for alliances for 2006
03/11- BRAZIL: Kroll denies any wrongdoing
03/11- BRAZIL: Government announces energy auction
04/11- BRAZIL: Government picks up pieces of electoral campaigns
05/11- BRAZIL: MST threatens a 'Red November'
05/11- BRAZIL: Defence minister quits in army row
01/11- CHILE: Right wins in Santiago, left gains elsewhere
03/11- CHILE: Lagos does not consider candidate selection urgent
05/11- CHILE: Mapuche protestors acquitted
01/11- URUGUAY: Vázquez wins in first round
02/11- URUGUAY: Celebrations put on hold
03/11- URUGUAY: Government-elect faces debt crisis

Caribbean & Central America
03/11- COSTA RICA: Intel to boost production
03/11- CUBA: Payá denounces torture of political dissidents
02/11- EL SALVADOR: Maras are not responsible for high murder rate
03/11- EL SALVADOR: FMLN expels deputy for voting with government
05/11- GUATEMALA: Ex-PAC land long-awaited compensation package
01/11- HAITI: Human-rights charges dog Latortue government
01/11- NICARAGUA: Sandinistas close in on Managua victory
04/11- NICARAGUA: Bolaños battles against impeachment
02/11- PANAMA: Torrijos starts rooting out corruption
04/11- PUERTO RICO: Race for governorship hangs in the balance

Mexico & Nafta
01/11- MEXICO: PRI leader accused of drug links
02/11- MEXICO: Senators warn on US elections
02/11- MEXICO: All change at Pemex
03/11- MEXICO: Inflation likely to be 5.2% this year
04/11- MEXICO: Fox congratulates Bush, pushes for immigration
04/11- MEXICO: Bejarano blames Salinas
05/11- MEXICO: Bejarano loses immunity from prosecution

Regional statistics
01/11- Latest data
02/11- Latest data
03/11- Latest data
04/11- Latest data
05/11- Latest data

Afternoon Features
01/11 - Regional Focus - Andean Group
02/11 - People Profile - Marco Aurélio Garcia
03/11 - Washington Watch - 3 November 2004
04/11 - Security Update - Chile sees dramatic increase in crimes committed by youths

The Week Ahead - 6-12 November

Sunday
NICARAGUA: Municipal elections.

EL SALVADOR: Internal elections within the left-wing opposition Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) pitting a candidate from each of the reformist and orthodox wings of the party against each other.

Monday
CUBA: Ban on use of US dollars within national territory. Only convertible pesos will be legal tender from now on.

HONDURAS: President Ricardo Maduro pays an official visit to Mexico to discuss immigration, the impact of high oil prices on Central America and the Plan Puebla Panamá, which seeks to open up the southern half of Mexico and Central America to private foreign investment.

Monday and Tuesday
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Tenth special Caricom meeting; report to be presented on current situation in Haiti.

Wednesday to Friday
BAHAMAS: First Annual Caribbean AIDS Awareness Festival in Nassau.

Thursday
REGION: Chinese President Hu Jintao begins a two-week series of state visits to Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Cuba.

Friday
ECUADOR: The Izquierda Democrática (ID) party holds its convention and elects a new party leadership; the party's traditional leader, former President Rodrigo Borja, is retiring from public life.

12 November 2004

12 November 2004 Hits: 282

Andean
08/11- BOLIVIA: Tarija governor resigns
11/11- BOLIVIA: Strike goes ahead
12/11- BOLIVIA: Strike halts Santa Cruz
08/11- COLOMBIA: Farc rejects embassy talks over prisoner swap
09/11- COLOMBIA: Farc chief arrested
10/11- COLOMBIA: Uribe and Chávez improve ties
10/11- COLOMBIA: Top anti-drug official quits
11/11- COLOMBIA: Indigenous governor murdered
09/11- ECUADOR: Interior minister quits
10/11- ECUADOR: Opposition suffers setback
11/11- ECUADOR: Pro-impeachment bloc begins to crumble
12/11- ECUADOR: ALDHU wants US military out
08/11- PERU: Yanacocha pulls out of Quilish exploration
09/11- PERU: Government humiliated by Guzmán retrial
11/11- PERU: Sendero still poses a threat
12/11- PERU: Sendero continues to grab headlines
08/11- VENEZUELA: Chávez visits Castro
09/11- VENEZUELA: Opposition changes tack on media law
10/11- VENEZUELA: Congressional recall referendums set

Brazil & Southern Cone
08/11- ARGENTINA: Government claims Chinese investment
09/11- ARGENTINA: China plays down investment rumours
12/11- ARGENTINA: Kirchner purges gendarmerie
08/11- BRAZIL: No hurry in FTAA negotiations
08/11- BRAZIL: Domestic demand will absorb exports
09/11- BRAZIL: Alencar installed as defence minister
09/11- BRAZIL: Congress in a deadlock
10/11- BRAZIL: Economy booms, growth forecasts jump
10/11- BRAZIL: Government opens coffers to move congress
11/11- BRAZIL: Allied parties continue to pressure the government
11/11- BRAZIL: MST's 'Red November' begins
12/11- BRAZIL: CVRD and Alcan denounced at UN
12/11- BRAZIL: Selic to raise rates by 0.5%
10/11- CHILE: More bad news for Pinochet
11/11- CHILE: Lagos receives torture report
12/11- CHILE: Torture report causes a stir
08/11- URUGUAY: Vázquez win confirmed
12/11- URUGUAY: World Bank to back social plan

Caribbean & Central America
09/11- CUBA: Dollar outlawed; convertible peso takes over
09/11- EL SALVADOR: Hardliners maintain iron grip on FMLN
10/11- EL SALVADOR: Hándal is divisive figure in FMLN
08/11- HAITI: Amorim wants dialogue with Aristide
11/11- HAITI: Caricom refuses to recognise Latortue government
11/11- JAMAICA: Bitter leadership battle forces Seaga to stay on
08/11- NICARAGUA: Sandinistas win Managua
10/11- NICARAGUA: Opposition seeks to tie up Bolaños
12/11- NICARAGUA: Brief respite for Bolaños

Mexico & Nafta
09/11- MEXICO: City government admits error over police chief
10/11- MEXICO: Congress moves against new Pemex chief
11/11- MEXICO: Fox digs in over Pemex
12/11- MEXICO: Senate sets US$27 price for oil

Regional statistics
08/11- Latest data
09/11- Latest data
10/11- Latest data
11/11- Latest data
12/11- Latest data

Afternoon features
Regional Report - Mexico & Nafta
People Profile - Manuel Rosales Guerrero
Washington Watch - 10 November 2004
Security Update - Guatemalan anti-crime 'crusade' fails to curb murders

The Week Ahead - 13-18 November

Sunday
MEXICO: Municipal elections in Michoacan; gubernatorial and state assembly elections in Puebla, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala and Tamaulipas.

Monday
ARGENTINA: South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun visits Argentine counterpart Néstor Carlos Kirchner on first leg of regional tour.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Integration between Guatemala and El Salvador takes a step forward. Immigration officers will share database information via networked computers from today with the aim of speeding up the cross-border passage of persons and goods.

Tuesday
PARAGUAY: The peasant movement Frente Nacional en Defensa de la Soberanía y la Vida has called for a national civic strike in response to the breakdown of talks with the government over land reform and its policy towards land invaders. The big peasant organisation Mesa Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas (MCNOC) has asked its members to join the strike.

Tuesday-Thursday
ARGENTINA: Chinese President Hu Jintao visits.
BRAZIL: South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun meets President Lula da Silva in Brasília.
GUATEMALA: President Oscar Berger visits Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe.

Thursday
VENEZUELA: Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte Frutos meets counterpart Hugo Chávez to discuss agreement for purchase of Venezuelan oil at preferential prices.
CHILE: South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun meets counterpart Ricardo Lagos

Friday
GRENADA: Donors' conference to discuss reconstruction in wake of devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan on 7 September.
COSTA RICA: Ibero-American summit; regional heads of state participate.

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