
Colombia confirmed on Friday that its ambassador in Paraguay, Alberto Barrantes had returned to Asunción, four months after the political crisis triggered by the removal from office of Fernando Lugo and his replacement by President Federico Franco

Chilean Foreign minister Alfredo Moreno said on Thursday it had not been decided when Chile’s ambassador to Paraguay, Christian Maquieira would be returning to Asuncion and pointed out that the diplomat continues “in consultations” with Santiago, following the removal of former president Fernando Lugo.

Four former elected Uruguayan presidents openly discussed Mercosur revealing an overall disenchantment with the regional political and trade group but with different emphasis as to what was the path to follow.

Colombian ambassador Jorge Barrantes will be returning to his post in Asunción this weekend, the first Unasur country member to do so, according to Paraguayan Foreign minister Jose Fernandez Estigarribia. Chile is also expected to adopt a similar decision in the near future.

The Uruguayan government confirmed on Monday a raft of measures to attract Argentine tourists and compensate the restrictions in Argentina to purchase foreign currency (dollar-clamp) and the 15% retention fund for credit or debit cards operations outside the country.

Mercosur is denying Paraguay its legitimate right to the pro-tempore chair of Mercosur next 7 December at the presidential summit in Brasilia when Uruguay will receive the relay from Brazil. On that same occasion Venezuela will be attending the meeting as full member for the first time, reports the Asuncion media.

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica has plans to meet two, probably three times before the end of the year with his peer from Venezuela, Hugo Chavez to address “a real integration” of Mercosur, not limited to trade, but at the same time admitting that Venezuela is rapidly becoming one of the main markets for Uruguayan exports.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission headed by Ulric Erickson von Allmen visited Uruguay from October 22 to November 2 to conduct the country’s annual Article IV consultation. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Erickson von Allmen division chief in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department issued the following statement in Montevideo:

President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday that he will be attending the coming Mercosur presidential summit next 7 December in Brasilia and assured Venezuela is speeding up so the country can display all its potential within the political and trade block.

Brazilian foreign minister Antonio Patriota is scheduled to meet on Thursday with his Venezuela peer Nicolas Maduro to discuss a bilateral and regional agenda which is expected to emphasize on current issues related to Mercosur, the coming December summit and Paraguay’s situation.