Mercosur

• Friday, July 12th 2013 - 08:16 UTC

  Mercosur will lift Paraguay’s suspension next August 15, announced Uruguay

  

  This coming August 15, Mercosur will lift the suspension on Paraguay's participations that has held since June 29 2012, Uruguay Minister Luis Almagro announced on Thursday during a meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in Montevideo.

• Friday, July 12th 2013 - 07:50 UTC

  With Guyana and Suriname all South American countries are Mercosur associates

  

  Suriname and Guyana signed on Thursday the protocols to become associate members of Mercosur which is currently holding its mid year summit in Montevideo. This means all South American countries are now part of Mercosur.

• Thursday, July 11th 2013 - 07:26 UTC

  Summit in Montevideo could further expose the fragility of a Mercosur turned political

  

  President-elect Horacio Cartes will not make any comments on the ongoing dispute of Paraguay with Mercosur until after the group’s summit in Uruguay next Friday, when official decisions on the subject are expected to be made public. However for both sides any decision will most probably be challenging and ratify that Mercosur has become a political group far from its original trade and investment purposes.

• Wednesday, July 10th 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Mercosur and Paraguay on collision course; Uruguay insists Venezuela will hold the chair of the group

  

  Paraguay reiterated on Tuesday that if Venezuela assumes as pro termpore chair of Mercosur, it is not interested in returning to the group and discarded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledge to ensure Paraguay is fully reincorporated.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 01:50 UTC

  Paraguay not interested in Mercosur if Venezuela holds the chair, says top official

  

  Paraguay called for practical sense from its Mercosur partners Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to try and overcome the current impasse which could lead to a rift if Venezuela occupies the chair of the group at this week’s summit in Montevideo. Paraguay does not recognize Venezuela’s full membership because it was decided in its absence.

• Friday, July 5th 2013 - 23:52 UTC

  Brazil cuts spending determined to ensure 2.3% primary surplus, pledges Mantega

  

  Brazil announced on Friday it will immediately cut government spending by 6.65 billion dollars to balance the budget and achieve the goal of a primary fiscal surplus of 2.3% of GDP. The decision is seen as a strong signal to recover investors’ confidence following weeks of turmoil and poor performance of the economy.

• Friday, July 5th 2013 - 23:41 UTC

  Bachelet and Longueira will dispute the Chilean presidency next November

  

  Chilean president Sebastián Piñera congratulated former president Michelle Bachelet and ex Economy minister Pablo Longeuira who emerged as winners in the two main coalition’ primaries held last Sunday, the first time such an event takes place in the country.

• Friday, July 5th 2013 - 23:35 UTC

  Brazil’s growth refuses to take off, despite all of government incentives

  

  Brazil’s industrial output fell 2% in May after jumping a revised 1.9% in April, the national statistics agency announced this week in Rio de Janeiro. The fall was greater than forecasted but still was 1.4% above a year ago. However as the government or President Dilma Rousseff struggles to fight inflation, the latest data complicates the strategy to prop growth.

• Friday, July 5th 2013 - 23:27 UTC

  Brazilians want ‘trial of the century’ jail sentences to be implemented immediately

  

  An overwhelming majority of Brazilians are demanding the immediate compliance of the criminal rulings which sentenced 25 high ranking officials in the so called ‘trial of the century’ for their involvement in corruption practices back in 2005 and which at the time almost toppled the administration of then president Lula da Silva.

• Friday, July 5th 2013 - 22:52 UTC

  Spain calls for calm over Bolivian plane incident, but anticipates ‘no apologies’

  

  Spain called for calm on Friday in a diplomatic row ignited when Bolivian President Evo Morales's plane was diverted because of suspicions that fugitive US intelligence ‘leaker’ Edward Snowden was aboard. However he anticipated there would be no apologies from Spain as South American countries are demanding.