Latin America

• Wednesday, June 27th 2012 - 08:20 UTC

  Paraguay “back to business as usual” but with a shadow “legitimate” government

  

  Ousted Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo announced on Tuesday that he will not be attending the coming Mercosur summit scheduled to take place this Thursday and Friday in Mendoza.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 22:16 UTC

  Paraguay: Back to Latin America's bad old days? (*)

  

  While the ouster of Paraguay’s president is a setback to the young democracy of the country, it shouldn’t be viewed as a repeat of Latin America’s history of coup d’états. The painful process of democratic maturity will continue, albeit slowly.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 04:36 UTC

  Bolivian police sixth day of mutiny: clashes between Morales supporters and strikers

  

  Rebel police clashed with pro-government supporters Monday outside Bolivia's presidential palace in the capital La Paz on the sixth day of a mutiny demanding better pay.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 04:13 UTC

  Mexican presidential front-runner ten points ahead for next Sunday’s election

  

  Mexican presidential front-runner Enrique Peña Nieto filled most of Latin America’s largest soccer stadium on Sunday for his last rally in the capital before the July 1 election, pledging to root out drug violence.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 01:33 UTC

  Mercosur and Unasur leaders to hold a joint discussion next Friday in Mendoza

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera revealed that next Friday during the regular Mercosur summit, the leaders of Unasur member states are scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting to jointly address the political crisis in Paraguay triggered by the removal of President Fernando Lugo.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 01:02 UTC

  Lonesome George, last giant tortoise of its subspecies dies in Galapagos

  

  Staff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador announced Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died. Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old.

• Tuesday, June 26th 2012 - 00:40 UTC

  Paraguayan Electoral tribunal confirms Franco president and the electoral calendar

  

  The Paraguayan Supreme Electoral tribunal said on Monday that President Federico Franco “must complete” the current mandate that concludes August 2013 and discarded any possibility of advancing the national elections scheduled for April the same year.

• Monday, June 25th 2012 - 19:37 UTC

  Canada prepared to accept the new political situation in Paraguay

  

  Canada seems prepared to accept the new political situation in Paraguay following the removal of President Fernando Lugo, and pointed out in an official release that the ousted leader “accepted the decision from the Paraguayan Senate”.

• Monday, June 25th 2012 - 18:56 UTC

  Urgent summit in Peru to advance transfer of Unasur presidency from Paraguay

  

  An urgent summit of the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, will address the crisis in Paraguay following the removal of President Fernando Lugo, this coming Wednesday in Peru, announced Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, although there has been no official confirmation from Lima.

• Monday, June 25th 2012 - 07:12 UTC

  Paraguay suspended from Mercosur summit which begins Monday

  

  Mercosur countries decided on Sunday “to suspend with immediate effect” the participation of Paraguay in the coming Mercosur summit and preparatory meetings set to begin Monday until next Friday in Mendoza because of the removal of President Fernando Lugo.