Chilean President Sebastian Piñera rejected a plea by the Roman Catholic Church that he pardon members of the armed forces over human rights abuses committed during military rule. Piñera said the proposal had caused division in Chile and reopened old wounds.
Colombia insisted Friday that no reply has been given yet to “the heart of the matter” in the diplomatic row with Venezuela and those are the claims of ‘tolerated’ Colombian guerrilla presence in Venezuelan territory. Bogotá also recalled that all mediations and dialogue proposals so far have been “unfruitful”.
Former Argentine president and Union of South American Nations, Unasur chairman Nestor Kirchner will hold talks during early August with the presidents of Venezuela and Colombia in an attempt to mediate an understanding between the two countries, according to reports from the Argentine government news agency Telam.
Chile hired JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc. and HSBC Holdings Plc to arrange the country’s first international bond sale in six years, Finance Minister Felipe Larrain announced Friday. Proceeds from the 10-year bonds will help finance rebuilding efforts after the February earthquake.
The Spanish government approved Friday a sweeping reform of the Ministries of Industry and Foreign Affairs which included the elimination of the State Secretary for Ibero-America.
Brazil is following “closely and with great concern” the latest developments between Colombia and Venezuela said the Brazilian Foreign Office, Itamaraty, confirming that President Lula da Silva will be travelling to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez next August 6, as was scheduled.
Ecuador strongly criticized the Organization of American States, OAS, for having speedily accepted a special session request from Colombia to address the alleged existence of Colombian guerrilla groups in Venezuelan territory which led to a major diplomatic and political situation between the neighbouring countries.
Former Argentine president and current Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Néstor Kirchner, “will collaborate in the mediation led by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, in order to overcome the crisis between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments”.
Cattle breeders in Paraguay and Chilean are suffering the consequences of a particularly severe austral winter which has killed hundreds of cattle and threatens the lives of tens of thousands more.
Natural gas-rich Bolivia has invited Paraguay and Uruguay to confirm sufficient demand to justify the building of a commercially viable 2.000 kilometres pipeline linking with Asunción and Montevideo.