The controversy between Venezuela and Colombia is to mark the rhythm of political conversations during the Mercosur Summit, to be held on August 2 and 3 in the Argentine city of San Juan city in San Juan province.
Once the Mercosur summit is over, on Tuesday afternoon, the presidents of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and of Brazil, Lula da Silva, are to hold a meeting in San Juan to analyse bilateral relations, said Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez reaffirmed that his government's “supreme objective” is to “stop the war-craze” of out-going Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, and he assured the “dilemma” of the bilateral crisis is “between words and missiles.”
A trade agreement with Egypt and the approval of a much-delayed customs code are two of the highlights of the Mercosur leaders Tuesday meeting in Argentina for one of the two annual summits.
Paraguay expects the Mercosur summit that begins Monday in San Juan, Argentina, to approve 650 million US dollars in loans. The Paraguayan Foreign Affairs ministry also confirmed that President Fernando Lugo and chancellor Hector Lacognata will be attending the meeting.
The Aymara priest who blessed Bolivian President Evo Morales at an inauguration ceremony four years ago has been arrested in possession of 240 kilos of cocaine, police said.