
A manual recount of votes isn't possible in Venezuela, the head of the country's Supreme Court said Wednesday, suggesting there is no legal basis for the opposition's push for a ballot-by-ballot audit of the narrow presidential election results.

Representatives from several Latinamerican and Caribbean countries before the Organization of American States recognized on Wednesday Nicolas Maduro as elected president of Venezuela. Nicaragua, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Uruguay among others congratulated the new head of state and praised the Venezuelan people for their massive and peaceful turnout last Sunday for the historic voting day.

By R. Viswanathan (*) - The election of Nicolas Maduro, the chosen heir of Chavez, in last Sunday’s election, is good news for the peaceful and orderly transition of Venezuela after the abnormal, autocratic and quixotic rule of Chavez in the last fourteen years. If Capriles had won, the change would have been abrupt and traumatic for the Chavistas who might not have given up power so easily without some messy fight.

Argentina and Uruguay presidents could hold an unofficial meeting next Friday in Caracas when they attend the taking office ceremony of Venezuelan president next Friday, according to Montevideo diplomatic sources.

The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation — also known as the Special Committee of 24 — is to hold its Pacific Regional Seminar in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from 28 to 30 May. Its agenda is to review progress in the United Nations decolonisation process.

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez demanded the United States “recognizes the Venezuelan government” following on Sunday’s election in which Nicolas Maduro was confirmed as president despite a very tight margin (just over 1% of ballots) and challenges by the opposition candidate.

Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández takeover of YPF to pare energy imports is backfiring and threatening to narrow the country’s trade surplus needed to pay debt, according to a report from Bloomberg.

By R. Viswanathan - Yes. India's exports to Colombia have crossed the billion dollar mark, reaching 1.124 billion dollars in 2012. Colombia is the third biggest destination of India's exports to Latin America after Brazil and Mexico.

The Organization of American States singed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations for Humanitarian Mine Action Activities in Colombia, a country were virtually tens of thousands of explosives have been planted during the several decades’ long internal conflict.

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles called off a march by his supporters in Caracas planned for Wednesday, saying that his rivals were plotting to infiltrate the rally to trigger violence. Violent clashes at opposition protests over Venezuela's disputed presidential election have killed seven people, officials said as both sides mobilized supporters nationwide for new demonstrations.