Latin America

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 05:30 UTC

  Ecuador to begin negotiations to join Mercosur, after reaching accord with the EU

  

  Ecuador will notify its intention of beginning negotiation to join Mercosur, while at the same time closing a trade agreement with the European Union. The announcement was made by President Rafael Correa during his regular weekly reports on radio and television.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 05:18 UTC

  Bolivia full incorporation to Mercosur now rests on legislative approval from other members

  

  Bolivia has completed the presentation of its Mercosur incorporation protocol, which opens the way for the parliaments of the different member-countries to begin considering and ratifying her full membership. Once completed Bolivia becomes the sixth full member next to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 00:48 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina working to find a long-standing agreement on trade, says Marco Aurelio

  

  Brazil and Argentina are trying to address their economic and trade differences so that they can reach a long-standing, long term solution, said Marco Aurelio García, the Brazilian Executive advisor on foreign issues and trouble shooter for this kind of conflicts.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 00:28 UTC

  Maduro visits Uruguay on his first overseas trip since becoming elected president

  

  Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro begins next Tuesday an official one visit to Uruguay when he will be meeting with head of state Jose Mujica and former president Tabare Vazquez.On Wednesday he plans to fly to Argentina and the following day, Brazil.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 10:08 UTC

  Brazil furious with Cristina Fernandez non-kept promises freezes relation

  

  Brazil has virtually frozen political and economic relations with Argentina following serious discrepancies that were confirmed during the recent summit of presidents Cristina Fernandez with Dilma Rousseff who cut short the originally scheduled two-day visit to Buenos Aires.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 10:03 UTC

  Uruguay admits trade and economic relations with Argentina ‘couldn’t be worse’

  

  Vice-president Danilo Astori admitted on Friday that economic-trade relations with Argentina continue to deteriorate and seriously question Mercosur and Uruguay must therefore speed the search for other alternatives.

• Friday, May 3rd 2013 - 07:01 UTC

  UN Rapporteur insists in criticizing Argentine ‘politicization’ of the Judiciary

  

  United Nations expert on magistrates and solicitors independence again expressed concern on Thursday about the laws contained in the Argentine government-promoted judicial reform which might lead to the “politicization” of the judiciary branch.

• Friday, May 3rd 2013 - 06:11 UTC

  Obama supports new Mexican drugs security policy to cut down on killings and violence

  

  President Barack Obama gave his blessing to a new security arrangement with Mexican leader Enrique Peña Nieto, in which Mexico will make reducing violence a priority over hunting drug cartel kingpins in the war against organized crime. The two presidents said they also want to step up trade and business ties that have been overshadowed by the battle against drug trafficking.

• Friday, May 3rd 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Venezuelan opposition formally challenges Maduro’s victory in April’s snap election

  

  The Venezuelan opposition on Thursday challenged the results of last month's presidential poll won by the late Hugo Chavez's successor, further muddying an already messy transition to life without the divisive leader. The formal challenge was done with the Supreme Court, despite allegations the tribunal is loaded with pro-Chavez judges and certain to reject the challenge.

• Friday, May 3rd 2013 - 02:41 UTC

  Freedom of the press in the America exposed to violence and intimidation from governments

  

  Violence, intimidation and polarization still obstruct reporting in Americas says the 2013 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index which was released in anticipation of the World Press Freedom Day, May 3 (*). The report states that the ranking of most countries is no longer attributable to dramatic political developments and this year’s index is a better reflection of the attitudes and intentions of governments towards media freedom in the medium or long term.