
Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica, speaking without realizing a microphone was on, referred to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as that ‘old lady’ saying she is “worse” than her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner.

Paraguay’s president Federico Franco has arrived in Madrid, a special guest of his peer Mariano Rajoy with whom he will be holding talks at the Moncloa Palace. Rajoy is particularly interested in showing his support for President Franco and Paraguay that have been suspended from Mercosur and Unasur because of the removal by Congress, following political impeachment of Fernando Lugo.

Foreign minister Luis Almagro said on Wednesday that Malvinas Islands’ sovereignty belongs to the whole of Latinamerica and as part of Latinamerica and the Caribbean, “we will defend the territorial integrity of the continent”.

Paraguay businessman Horacio Cartes a newcomer to politics and the presidential candidate for the conservative Colorado party that ruled the landlocked country for decades leads public opinion polls less than a month ahead of the general election.

Paraguay, suspended from Mercosur and Unasur since last June rejected point-blank the possibility that Venezuela takes the chair of the regional trade group as of next June during the summit scheduled to take place in Uruguay.

Regional groups from South America for the first time are working together on the Malvinas question at the United Nations in support of Argentina’s claims, said the Peruvian delegate on Tuesday, something which he described as “very positive”.

The main group representing supermarkets in Brazil says it will no longer sell meat from cattle raised in the rainforest. The Brazilian Association of Supermarkets, which has 2,800 members, hopes the deal will cut down on the illegal use of rainforest for pasture.

On Tuesday Argentina’s Foreign minister Hector Timerman together with representatives from different Latinamerican and Caribbean organizations are scheduled to meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to address the “Malvinas Islands question”, according to a release from the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Falkland Islands said that Argentina’s ‘frantic efforts’ to have the international community ignore the voice of the people of the Falkland Islands is ‘a diplomacy of desperation’ and insisted that the recent referendum results again confirmed that the people of the Falklands have no desire to be governed by Buenos Aires.

With just over a month for Paraguay’s presidential election the opposition candidate from the Colorado Party, Horacio Cartes is ahead with 37.3% vote intention followed by Efrain Alegre who represents the ruling Alianza with 30.3%, according to a public opinion poll contracted by the Asunción newspaper ABC Color and released on Monday.