Former Argentine Veep to Head Mercosur Committee

Former Argentine vice president Carlos Alvarez will become the new president of the Mercosur Commission of permanent representatives. He will be taking office during the December 8/9 presidential summit in Uruguay.

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner made the appointment announcement last week during a press conference in Puerto Iguazu, northern Argentina, following a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inancio Lula da Silva.

Alvarez will replace former Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde, whose term as the Mercosur commission head ends in December. Duhalde was a key sponsor of Kirchner´s election in May 2003 but has since had a falling out with him due to the bitterly contested congressional elections last October in which both men´s political allies ran against each other.