Wires

EMERGING MARKETS-Brazilian stocks sink amid crippling truckers' strike

(Updates prices, adds details on Mexican peso) SAO PAULO, May 25 (Reuters) - Brazil's main stock market fell to a five-month low and its real currency weakened on Friday as the fifth day of a truckers' protest over fuel prices hobbled a wide range of industries from aviation to agribusiness. The key auto sector ground to a halt, as did Santos, Latin America's largest port, while grocers' aisles went understocked and long lines formed outside gas stations. In the afternoon, the federal government authorized the military to clear highways by force, while Sao Paulo, South America's largest city, declared a state of emergency.

Brazil's benchmark Bovespa sank 1.59 percent, while the real weakened 0.70 percent. Mexican stocks also suffered on Friday as the benchmark S&P BMV/IPC index dropped 0.73 percent, extending a six-week fall. The Mexican peso strengthened 0.10 percent after reports that stalled negotiations over an updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could still yield a deal, lifting it nearly 2 percent over the prior week and breaking a five-week streak of losses. The economy minister said there was a 40 percent chance of concluding talks before Mexico's presidential election on July 1. Chilean equities were among the biggest regional gainers, after some heavily weighted stocks bounced back from a tough Thursday, and its IPSA and IGPA indexes both rose around half a percent.

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1940 GMT:

Stock indexes Latest daily % change YTD % changeMSCI Emerging Markets 1136.24 0.1 -2.02MSCI LatAm 2652.61 -1.07 -5.19Brazil Bovespa 78845.9 -1.59 3.20

7

Mexico S&P BMV/IPC 45103.2 -0.73 -8.61

9

Chile IPSA 5605.31 0.5 0.73Chile IGPA 28324.1 0.56 1.23

0

Argentina MerVal 29664.9 -1.88 -1.33

0

Colombia IGBC 12069.3 -0.42 6.14

1

Venezuela IBC 29351.5 7.76 2223.70

8

Currencies Latest daily % change YTD % changeBrazil real 3.6731 -0.70 -9.80Mexico peso 19.5610 0.10 0.71Chile peso 624.4 0.11 -1.56Colombia peso 2875.45 -0.82 3.71Peru sol 3.268 -0.06 -0.95Argentina peso 24.5750 -0.35 -24.31

(interbank)

Argentina peso 25.5 -0.39 -24.59

(parallel)

(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Paula Arend Laier in Sao Paulo and Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Rosalba O'Brien)