Stories for January 2026

Saturday, January 10th 2026 - 10:47 UTC
Bessent praises Argentina on swift repayment of swap

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent noted Friday that the Argentine government of President Javier Milei swiftly repaid US$2.5 billion from a recent currency swap in full, framing the operation as a landmark victory for the “America First” agenda and a signal of Buenos Aires' return to financial stability.
Saturday, January 10th 2026 - 10:36 UTC
Asunción's Airport cleared to handle US-flagged aircraft

Asunción's Silvio Pettirossi International Airport has been cleared by the United States government to resume direct commercial flights, marking a significant milestone for Paraguayan aviation.
Saturday, January 10th 2026 - 10:24 UTC
Trump wants Greenland at any cost

US President Donald Trump insisted on Friday that his administration needed to take effective control of Greenland because otherwise Moscow or Beijing would do it. “By hook or by crook,” Washington needs to prevent it from falling under the influence of Russia or China, Trump explained to reporters at the White House.
Saturday, January 10th 2026 - 09:55 UTC
Delcy Rodríguez wants to travel to Washington

Venezuela's caretaker President Delcy Rodríguez is reportedly interested in traveling to the United States for talks with the Donald Trump administration regarding the following steps of her transition government. She intends to travel on Tuesday, presumably coinciding with Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado's presence, as analysts juggle with the idea of a historic three-way encounter.
Saturday, January 10th 2026 - 00:28 UTC
Venezuela stocks surge 124% a week after Maduro’s removal

Venezuelan assets have surged in a dramatic fashion this week, with the Caracas Stock Exchange’s main index up about 124% in U.S. dollar terms, Bloomberg data shows, as global investors react to political upheaval after the removal of President Nicolás Maduro last Saturday by United States forces.
Friday, January 9th 2026 - 20:33 UTC
EU-Mercosur deal to be signed in Asunción on Jan. 17

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU) will be signed in Paraguay on Saturday, Jan. 17, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno confirmed on Friday, following the decisive round of voting in Brussels, where France and its allies failed to reach the minimum number to topple the initiative.
Friday, January 9th 2026 - 20:12 UTC
EU gives nod to Mercosur FTA despite fragmented France's rejection

A qualified majority of European Union (EU) member states voted Friday to approve the landmark Free Trade Agreement with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). The decision marks a historic geopolitical shift, positioning the EU to counter rising US tariffs and Chinese competition, even as it ignites a firestorm of domestic unrest in France.
Friday, January 9th 2026 - 10:55 UTC
It is all-or-nothing for EU-Mercosur FTA in Brussels

The feasibility of the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common (Market) and the European Union (EU) seems to be just hours away from its all-or-nothing hour, as France, Poland, Hungary, and Ireland have confirmed they would vote against it.
Friday, January 9th 2026 - 10:46 UTC
Copa announces resumption of Caracas route

Panamanian carrier Copa Airlines announced on Thursday its resumption of the Caracas route following a long suspension amid US warnings that Venezuela's airspace was unsafe.
Friday, January 9th 2026 - 10:41 UTC
Uruguay: donated islands for environmental bilateral initiative

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi took delivery on Thursday of three islands in the Uruguay River purchased by US philanthropist Gilbert Butler to develop a binational “Peace Park” Project together with neighboring Argentina.