Latin America

• Sunday, June 24th 2012 - 15:02 UTC

  Lan and Tam complete merger to become world’s second largest airline by market value

  

  Chile's LAN Airlines completed a takeover of Brazilian rival TAM on Friday, creating the world's second-largest airline by market value in a deal that executives expect to yield up to 700 million dollars in costs savings within four years.

• Sunday, June 24th 2012 - 02:27 UTC

  Franco: “no coup, a change of leadership”; Germany admits new government

  

  “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.

• Sunday, June 24th 2012 - 02:22 UTC

  Argentina withdraws ambassador from Paraguay: Mercosur decides next week

  

  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.

• Saturday, June 23rd 2012 - 03:48 UTC

  Franco promises to uphold democracy and honour international agreements

  

  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.

• Saturday, June 23rd 2012 - 03:43 UTC

  “A coup against democracy” organized by the political class and mafia claims Lugo

  

  Ousted Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo addressed thousands of citizens outside the presidential palace and assured there had been a “coup against democracy” but also said he would respect the formality of the Senate’s decision and called on followers to march peacefully.

• Saturday, June 23rd 2012 - 03:25 UTC

  Mercosur/Unasur anticipate “appropriate measures” against coup in Paraguay

  

  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.

• Friday, June 22nd 2012 - 08:31 UTC

  Premier Wen Jibao will address China-Latam relations at a conference in ECLAC

  

  Premier of China, Wen Jiabao, will visit the headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile, on Tuesday 26 June to deliver a lecture.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 23:32 UTC

  Unasur delegation travels to Paraguay to ensure “democratic system integrity”

  

  A delegation of Foreign Affairs ministers should be arriving late Thursday to Asunción where the Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo is facing political impeachment that could have him out of office.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 17:52 UTC

  UK to reopen embassy in Paraguay and new embassy in Haiti

  

  Following on the UK policy to establish closer ties with Latin America, Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced plans to re-open the British Embassy in Paraguay and a new British Embassy in Haiti.

• Thursday, June 21st 2012 - 16:35 UTC

  Urgent meeting of Unasur leaders to address the Paraguayan situation

  

  Unasur presidents attending the Rio+20 summit met urgently on Thursday to analyze the current political situation in Paraguay where President Fernando Lugo is facing political impeachment following a land eviction incident that killed 17 peasants and policemen.