
Latin American and Caribbean countries will grow on average 3.5% this year supported by a strong domestic demand and the improved performance of Argentina and Brazil compared with 2012, according to the latest “Updated economic review of Latin America and the Caribbean 2012’ from the UN Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, ECLAC.

South American football president Nicolas Leoz has resigned on Tuesday from FIFA powerful executive committee on health and personal grounds. Leoz was accused by the BBC Panorama program in November 2010 of taking bribes in the 1990s from the now defunct sports rights agency ISL.

Chilean authorities are feeling calmer with the exchange rate nearing 480 pesos per US dollar, Finance Minister Felipe Larrain said on Tuesday, as the currency retreated from the year-and-a-half highs it reached earlier this month.

Chilean president Sebastian Piñera on Monday named the head of a government agency that promotes gender equality to be the new education minister. Carolina Schmidt replaces Harald Beyer, who was impeached by Congress last week.

By R. Viswanathan (*) - Horacio Cartes of the Colorado party won the presidential elections held last Sunday in Paraguay. The Colorados had ruled the country continuously for 61 years in a one-party dictatorship until 2008 when Fernando Lugo, the leftist “Bishop of the Poor” defeated the Colorado candidate and made history.

In the midst of global economic uncertainty, Latin America has maintained steady levels of economic growth and financial resilience over the past decade. The region has a forecast of almost 4% economic growth in 2013, and it is this encouraging prospect that is the focus of the 2013 World Economic Forum on Latin America in Lima, Peru, which opened on Tuesday 23 until April 25.

England will play three matches on their tour to Argentina and Uruguay this coming June, announced the Rugby Union in England. Stuart Lancaster’s side will face a CONSUR XV representing the South American nations in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Sunday, June 2 (3.30pm local time, 7.30pm BST).

United States, Peru and Chile among others extended their congratulations to president-elect Horacio Cartes and to the Paraguayan people for the ‘extraordinary’ Election Day last Sunday and their significant turnout in such special circumstances.

President-elect Horacio Cartes said that even when some aspects of Mercosur can be improved it “would be utterly nonsense” to abandon the block since it generates many jobs in the country, attracts investment and is an opportunity to open markets.

Brazil conditions the immediate return of Paraguay to Mercosur to the approval, by the new congress, of Venezuela’s full incorporation to the trade block, according to the influential Folha de Sao Paulo quoting foreign ministry reliable sources.