
The Paraguayan Senate is expected to vote this Tuesday the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur as full member in an extraordinary meeting, according to Senator Julio César Velázquez from the ruling party. To have the Venezuelan protocol approved 23 out of 45 Senators have to lift their hands, but according to previous surveys only 15 are expected to dissent.

The Argentine police crisis in demand for higher salaries and better working conditions and which prompted protests and further lootings in several provinces last week and during the weekend rapidly spread on Monday to other districts.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared victory in municipal elections as his ruling Socialists won a majority of votes nationwide on Sunday, even though they lost to the opposition in five key cities. He also pledged to deepen his economic offensive to force businesses to cut prices, which was a turning point in his campaign.

The Spanish Government has included Gibraltar in a list of potential ‘risks or threats’ to its national maritime security. The claim is contained in a single paragraph of a new 48-page national maritime security strategy policy approved by the Spain’s National Security Council last Thursday.

Evelyn Matthei of the right-wing Independent Democratic Union (UDI) and Michelle Bachelet of the left-leaning Socialist Party (PS) partook in their opening head-to-head presidential debate, as for the first campaign in Latin American history two women compete against each other in a presidential election second round.

The World Trade Organization has agreed its first ever global deal aimed at boosting commerce. The agreement reached in Bali, Indonesia, simplifies trade procedures and also makes it easier for the poorest countries to sell their goods.

Global equity markets surged and the dollar rose against the Yen after stronger-than-expected US jobs data gave investors confidence the economy is strong enough to withstand an expected reduction in Federal Reserve stimulus.

Argentina will from next week open the doors for Brazilian imports held up on the border between the two nations, including footwear and motor vehicles, according to Brazilian Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Fernando Pimentel.

The US government has asked the US Supreme Court to intervene over a hedge fund's effort to gain information about Argentina's non-US assets as part of an ongoing litigation, which is rapidly becoming a lead case regarding sovereign assets and sovereign debts rescheduling.

Brazil's annual inflation cooled in November falling to 5.77%, reported the Institute of Geography and Statistics, IBGE, on Friday. The November reading was the lowest since registering 5.84% in December 2012.