Latin America

• Wednesday, July 11th 2012 - 22:23 UTC

  Italy’s caretaker PM Monti says next year’s election can be looked at “with serenity”

  

  Italy's technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti, appointed last year to steer his country through a debt crisis, said he was confident a stable government would be formed after elections in 2013, playing down fears of deadlock after he steps down.

• Wednesday, July 11th 2012 - 19:24 UTC

  With Venezuela, Mercosur will extend from Patagonia to the Caribbean

  

  Brazilian Foreign minister Antonio Patriota again supported the access of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur and the suspension of Paraguay, which he described as a clear message for all those possible “anti-democratic adventures”.

• Tuesday, July 10th 2012 - 23:48 UTC

  OAS report to the Permanent Council does not favour suspending Paraguay

  

  The Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said that to suspend Paraguay from the OAS “would not contribute to the achievement of our objectives”, governance, the electoral process and institutional normality.

• Tuesday, July 10th 2012 - 21:22 UTC

  Brazil plans to combat endemic dengue fever with GM mosquitoes

  

  Brazil said it will breed huge numbers of genetically modified mosquitoes to help stop the spread of dengue fever, an illness that has already struck nearly 500,000 people this year nationwide, killing 74.

• Tuesday, July 10th 2012 - 05:27 UTC

  Defence minister Puricelli: Argentina’s Malvinas sovereignty claim is a regional commitment

  

  Argentine Defence minister Arturo Puricelli said that in the same way “the independence of the Argentines is the independence of the region”, the defence of Argentina is also the defence of the region and in this framework of integration Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Malvinas Islands is a regional commitment.

• Tuesday, July 10th 2012 - 05:19 UTC

  “Activity level has dropped” says Argentine industrial union chief

  

  The head of the Argentine Industrial Union, José Ignacio de Mendiguren, admitted that “it's clear that the activity level has dropped,” and warned that “the construction-related sectors delay the new projects.”

• Tuesday, July 10th 2012 - 05:11 UTC

  Chavez declares he’s totally free of cancer “our offensive begins right now!”

  

  Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez said on Monday he was fully recovered from cancer, three months before an election in which he is seeking another six-year term. “Free, free, totally free,” he told reporters when asked if he was free of the disease that struck a year ago.

• Monday, July 9th 2012 - 21:07 UTC

  Paraguayan industry lobby says forget Mercosur, calls for talks with Pacific Alliance

  

  The president of the Paraguayan Industrial Union Eduardo Filippo said it was essential for the country to establish negotiations outside Mercosur, following the suspension from the group by the remaining three members allegedly because of the rupture of the democratic order.

• Monday, July 9th 2012 - 18:32 UTC

  Canadian cowboy plans to ride 16.000 kilometres and reach Brazil in 2014

  

  A Canadian cowboy hopes to join the ranks of the long riders as he rode out of Calgary, Alberta on Sunday for an epic journey to his birthplace in Brazil. Filipe Masetti Leite intends to spend the next two years riding his two horses, “Bruiser” and “Frenchie,” through 12 countries in North, Central and South America.

• Monday, July 9th 2012 - 12:45 UTC

  Bolivia: Indigenous rioting threaten Canadian mining company with nationalization

  

  Bolivia will consider nationalizing Canadian miner South American Silver Corp's silver property, President Evo Morales said on Sunday, following violent indigenous protests against the mining project.