America's Insider articles from October 2000

America's Insider archives from October 2000

Move against labor intended to bolster president's control.(Hugo Chavez of Venezuela)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... CARACAS -- The Venezuelan Congress has voted to approve a proposal by President Hugo Chavez to hold a nationwide referendum on a measure to dissolve the country's leading unions and consolidate them into a single organization that would be...

Peru's government and opposition squabble over reforms, but reach agreement on some.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... LIMA -- Peru's government and its opposition parties have reached agreement on a few points contained in an Organization of American States agenda drawn up to strengthen democracy in Peru after President Alberto Fujimori won controversial...

Gunmen kidnap foreign oil workers in Ecuador.
October 12, 2000... QUITO -- In the latest evidence that the war in Colombia may be spreading, guerrillas said to be allied with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Oct. 12 kidnapped 10 foreign oil workers from an oil camp in Ecuador. The facility...

Companies' faith in Peru remains shaken by political turmoil.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... LIMA -- Peru said it was forging ahead with concessions and privatization tenders scheduled for this year despite the political crisis that caused recently re-elected President Alberto Fujimori to announce he would shorten his term. However,...

Brazilian official rejects assistance to contain violence in Colombia.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... BRASILIA -- The Brazilian military is ready to send thousands of new troops to the border with Colombia in a bid to prevent the spread of the war. However, Brazil's military wants to go it alone and says it will not permit the deployment of...

Cabinet shake up touches off political crisis as confidence wilts.(Argentina)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... BUENOS AIRES -- Bribery scandals, continued economic troubles and sagging popularity prompted President Fernando de la Rua to shuffle his cabinet in a bid to jumpstart the economy and restore confidence in his rule. The October shakeup,...

Municipal elections crown Workers Party as main opposition.(Brazil)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil's Workers Party (PT) appears to have been the big winner in municipal elections in early October. PT member Marta Suplicy won the most votes in the mayor's race in Sao Paulo, Brazil's major industrial and financial...

Congress agrees to limited trade with Cuba.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... WASHINGTON -- After months of bitter debate, the US Congress approved a plan that would allow largely unrestricted commercial sales of food sales to Cuba -- the first since 1962. However, over the objections of supporters of an end to the...

Circumstances may force Bush or Gore to focus on Latin America.
October 12, 2000... WASHINGTON -- Growing political instability in the hemisphere and heightened interest in greater trade ties will force the next White House occupant to pay more attention to Latin America than has President Bill Clinton. One of the most...

Fox team includes friends, financial supporters.(President-elect Vicente Fox, Mexico)
October 12, 2000... During his campaign and transition, President-elect Vicente Fox, 58, has surrounded himself with old friends and campaign supporters who may wield undo influence in his administration. Fox was elected as a crusading reformer who promised to...

Tax hikes stirs discontent in Colombia.(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... BOGOTA -- Government efforts to raise taxes by more than $1.5 billion is meeting growing resistance in Congress and sharp criticism from business leaders and the population at large. Finance Minister Juan Manuel Santos submitted the bill to...

Politics, apathy scuttle sale of Bogota telephone company.(Empresa de Telefonos de Bogota)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... BOGOTA -- The sale of the Empresa de Telefonos de Bogota, the city's state owned telephone company, was cancelled in a surprise move by the mayor days before it was set to be privatized. On September 21, Enrique Penalosa, Bogota's mayor,...

Chile reform of regulatory structure to encourage competition.(electric utilities)(Brief Article)
October 12, 2000... SANTIAGO -- Chile's government plans a radical reform of the country's electricity regulation. The reform, due to be submitted to Congress this month, aims to reduce barriers to entry into the generating industry and to create competition in...

US aid package for Colombia hit by troubles from the start.
October 20, 2000... WASHINGTON -- Clinton administration officials involved in the effort to bolster the Colombian government in its fight against rebels and paramilitary troops in the drug trade are losing confidence in a massive US aid package. ...

Tabasco election is referendum on PRI future.(Tabasco, Mexico)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... MEXICO CITY -- A slow recount and claims of fraud have clouded the outcome of a closely watched gubernatorial race in Tabasco state that was expected to greatly influence the direction of the Institutional Revolutionary Party in the wake of its...

Fox denies charges his anti-corruption czar is linked to drug traffickers.(Mexico's president-elect Vicente Fox; Francisco Barrios)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... MEXICO CITY -- Mexican President-elect Vicente Fox has rejected allegations in a Texas newspaper that his anti-corruption czar, Francisco Barrios, has links to drug traffickers. Barrios, a member of Fox's National Action Party and former...

Oil strike is major defeat for Chavez and could signal more tough fights.(Venezuela; Pres Hugo Chavez; petroleum industry workers)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... CARACAS -- The recently settled oil workers strike in Venezuela is the first major defeat for President Hugo Chavez since he assumed office 21 months ago. For four days in October, Venezuela's 41,000 unionized oil workers virtually shut...

Investors building banking empires in Venezuela.(Banco Mercantil; Banco Santander Central Hispano)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... CARACAS -- A spate of acquisitions over the last few weeks have created two banking giants in Venezuela, one of which is controlled by Spain's Banco Santander Central Hispano (BSCH). The consolidation of the sector is expected to lead to...

Talks set to resume after bid to pardon military excesses causes collapse.(Peru)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... LIMA -- Peru's government and the nation's opposition parties are expected to soon return to the negotiating table after talks collapsed last week when allies of President Alberto Fujimori unexpectedly voted to lengthen the legislative session....

Peru says one bid for Camisea is enough.(Techint only bidder for gas distribution contract)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... LIMA -- A consortium led by Argentina's Techint appears to be the only bidder for a $1.5 billion concession to build and operate pipelines and distribution systems associated with the Camisea natural gas and condensates fields. Although...

Political uncertainty, lack of legal clarity worry investors.(Ecuador)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... QUITO -- Having experience a coup in January and the more recent switch from the national currency to the US dollar, foreign investors here say they believe the worst of Ecuador's recent turmoil may be over. However, most say continued...

Lagos stays ahead of payments scandal by hitting those responsible.(Chile Pres Ricardo Lagos)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... SANTIAGO -- Just six months after taking office, President Ricardo magos is moving deftly to diffuse his first major political scandal. Although he is not responsible for the crisis, the affair reflects badly on the past decade of rule by the...

Bolivia gives in to demands as force failed to quell protests.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... LA PAZ -- President Hugo Banzer's damaging retreat on land-use laws and water privatization was the culmination of a series of missteps, including a repeated failure to appear responsive to popular concerns and a decision to resort to...

High oil prices draws charge of political maneuvering.(Brazil)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... RIO DE JANEIRO -- A promise by President Henrique Cardoso that the government won't raise fuel prices for the fourth time this year has drawn accusations that he is deferring price hikes until after the Oct. 29 run off elections for several...

Clinton Administration strikes deal on Brothers to the Rescue judgment.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... WASHINGTON --After years of failed efforts to collect money from the Cuban government, the families of slain Brothers to the Rescue pilots have reached a deal with the US government that means they may soon receive about half of their $187.6...

Political crisis eases but economic gloom does not lift.(Argentina)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... BUENOS AIRES --Although there are signs the Argentine political crisis is beginning to ease - President Fernando de la Rua has begun talks with Radical party head Raul Alfonsin and Frepaso chief and former Vice President Carlos Alvarez - it has...

US says buyout of Colombian guerrilla group likely.(plan to pay National Liberation Army of Colombia to lay down arms and stop drug traffic)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... WASHINGTON -- A State Department official said the United States likely would endorse a plan to pay a Colombian rebel group to lay down its arms and quit the drug and kidnapping business. "It might make sense to pay the National Liberation...

Peruvian political crisis appears to be taking toll on business and trade reform efforts : Foreign companies appear to be standing pat.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... LIMA -- Already accustomed to a level of instability that would make most investors head for the exits, the Peruvian business community appears to be genuinely alarmed by their nation's latest political turmoil. "We are completely...

Castro visit marked by mutual admiration, soft trade deals.(negotiation of trade treaties during visit of Cuban Head of State Fidel Castro to Venezuela)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... CARACAS -- Fidel Castro's first visit to Venezuela in 40 years will yield a number of useful economic accords for Cuba, but most are likely to be at the expense of his host country. Castro arrived in Caracas Oct. 26 to a warm welcome from...

ISA to launch first IPO from a state company.(initial public offering in Colombia of state-owned Interconexion Electrica S.A.'s stocks)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... BOGOTA -- Colombia's largest power transmission company, state-owned Interconexion Electrica, is finalizing plans to sell at least 100 million new shares to the public. Although the sale is not part of privatization plans for ISA,...

Funding for Plan Colombia still falls short.(funding by United States and European Union of social development and drug traffic control plan in Colombia)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... BOGOTA -- A one--day meeting in Bogota Oct.24 to discuss funding for the Plan Colombia with the European Union and other countries proved to be long on moral support and short on what government said it needs most:money. Delegates from 25...

Ecuador's efforts to raise money in Washington may bear fruit.(Ecuador's plea for additional American financing of drug traffic control efforts)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... WASHINGTON -- As an increasingly important ally in the US war on drugs, Ecuador's recent plea for additional financial assistance from Washington is likely to pay off, say officials. Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Heinz Moeller was in...

More moderate Workers Party expects strong runoff showing.(Brazil's Workers' Party expects to win majority of mayoral positions in municipal elections)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... RIO DE JANEIRO--Brazilian Workers Party (PT) officials say they expect the party to win at least 10 of the 16 mayoral races its is contesting in this Sunday's elections, including Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre. A win in Sao Paulo would give...

Fujimori survives return of spy chief, for now.(handling of political corruption scandal in Peru by President Alberto Fujimori)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... LIMA-- In the latest twist in Peru's bizarre political drama, President Alberto Fujimori appears to have thwarted plans by ousted intelligence czar Vladimiro Montesinos to cause fresh trouble for the shaky regime. Montesinos returned to the...

Foreigners exempted from transaction tax.(tax-free security transactions offered by Central Bank of Brazil)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... RIO DE JANEIRO --The Central Bank will exempt foreigners from the Contribuicao Provisoria sobre Movimentacao Financeira (CPMF)tax, a 0.3%levy on all financial transactions. Under the plan, foreigners can buy and sell shares in their own...

Likely Gore, Bush foreign policy teams offer few insights into Latin American views.(United States-Latin America)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... WASHINGTON -- Although it is possible to determine the most likely members of an incoming president's foreign policy team, it is usually more difficult to evaluate who will handle Latin American policy. This is because of the unfortunate fact...

Likely Members of a Gore Team.(United States)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Leon Fuerth - As the vice president's national security adviser, Fuerth, 61, is a likely candidate to head the National Security Council in a Gore administration. He may also be a contender for Secretary of State. Having long ties to Gore -...

Likely Members of a Bush Team.(United States)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Gen. Colin Powell - The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the Bush and Clinton administrations is reportedly George W. Bush's choice for Secretary of State. Powell's parents were Jamaican immigrants, but he was raised in New...

Tabasco flap continues amide little sign of fraud.(Mexico-elections)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... MEXICO CITY -- Two weeks after the contested election in Tabasco state, the controversy continues as to whether Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), gubernatorial candidate Manuel Andrade won a narrow victory. The opposition Party of...

US firms balk at Cuba's new phone tax.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... WASHINGTON--Several US telecommunication companies said they would not impose a 10% tax on calls between Cuba and the United States, despite threats by Fidel Castro's government to cut direct phone links if they do not pay the new levy. ...