Latin America

• Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 20:31 UTC

  “We need some strong vaccines to accept Venezuela in Mercosur”

  

  The head of the Brazilian Senate and former president Jose Sarney said he had his reservations about the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur as full member since the government of Hugo Chavez does not respect democratic rules.

• Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 09:23 UTC

  Mercosur Review Tribunal rejects Paraguay’s demand against suspension

  

  Mercosur Standing Review Tribunal rejected Paraguay’s demand against its temporary suspension from the trade and integration group and the inclusion of Venezuela as a full member.

• Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 08:55 UTC

  Brazil corrects IMF: outdated facts, credit expansion slower and inflation under control

  

  The Brazilian government questioned as outdated the latest IMF report, released Friday July 20, in which the Fund calls for more domestic savings and greater attention to inflation.

• Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 08:32 UTC

  FARC blow up Colombia’s main oil pipeline; fears of pollution in nearby river

  

  Colombia's largest rebel group has blown up a section of the 220.000-barrel-per-day-capacity Caño Limon-Covenas oil pipeline, Ecopetrol and the army said, in the latest in a series of attacks on oil infrastructure.

• Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 06:12 UTC

  Demonstrators protest the election of Peña Nieto as Mexican president

  

  Thousands of people marched through Mexico City to denounce the July 1 election of Enrique Peña Nieto as president, though the protest was smaller than one held earlier this month.

• Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 03:09 UTC

  OAS will not sanction Paraguay, says ambassador following informal meeting

  

  Paraguay will not be sanctioned by the Organization of American States, said the country’s ambassador on Friday following an informal meeting behind closed doors of OAS Permanent Council.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:51 UTC

  Chavez confirms Dilma’s invitation to Mercosur meeting in Rio on July 31

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he had talked with his peer from Brazil Dilma Rousseff who confirmed the invitation to an extraordinary meeting of Mercosur next July 31 in Rio do Janeiro.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:45 UTC

  Good signals from the Brazilian economy: inflation picks up in mid July

  

  Consumer prices in Brazil rose faster than expected in the month to mid-July on higher food costs, suggesting the central bank may have less room than previously believed to cut interest rates much further.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:38 UTC

  Brazilian government cuts 2012 growth forecast from 4.5% to 3%

  

  The Brazilian government said Friday it was cutting its economic growth forecast for this year from 4.5% to 3% due to the impact of the global slowdown. However the figure is still higher than the 2.5% predicted by the Central Bank.

• Saturday, July 21st 2012 - 07:28 UTC

  EU considering a new round of discussions with Mercosur before end of 2012

  

  The European Union - Mercosur trade negotiations calendar has been delayed and its full resumption is expected to take place in September or soon after, reports the EU press office in Montevideo.