A memorandum of understanding with Mercosur and a deep sea port to the east of Uruguay were two of the main issues addressed by visiting Chinese PM Wen Jiabao with President Jose Mujica revealed the Executive Deputy Secretary.
Paraguayan removed president Fernando Lugo denied legitimacy to the administration of his successor Federico Franco and announced he will be travelling next week to Mendoza for the Mercosur meeting of presidents scheduled for next June 29.
Uruguay called for strict respect of the Mercosur and Unasur democratic clauses and said the best way out of the current political crisis in Paraguay was to hold presidential elections as soon as possible.
Brazil will wait for the Paraguayan situation caused by the removal of Fernando Lugo “to decant” before assessing the most appropriate measures to address the “rupture of democratic order” in the country, according to Planalto sources.
“There is no coup here,” assured the new president of Paraguay Federico Franco on Saturday, who acted confidently before the international press following the ousting of Fernando Lugo on Friday.
Argentina is withdrawing its ambassador to Paraguay because of the rapid impeachment of former Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Paraguayan vice-president Federico Franco, 49, was sworn-in on Friday afternoon as president following Fernando Lugo’s impeachment that had him removed in less than two days.
President Cristina Fernández assured on Friday night that “Argentina does not condone the coup in Paraguay” and anticipated that “appropriate measures” will be taken at next week’s Mercosur Summit, scheduled to take place in Mendoza.
The newly-formed Pacific Alliance bloc seems more like a political club to counterbalance the Atlantic-facing, Brazil-led Mercosur group. However, the bloc accounts for 30% of India’s trade with Latin America. Can India engage the group so it is not left out from their Asia focus?
The leading countries of Latin America’s Pacific Rim with the exception of Ecuador and a few Central American countries, agreed to conform the Alliance of the Pacific an ambitious integration project which has good relations with Washington and is targeted to accompany the growing influence of the Asia-Pacific basin.