
Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva said he believes it is time for Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, recently re-elected for another six years, “to begin preparing his succession”

Venezuela’s expulsion of Paraguayan diplomats from Caracas, as a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict inside Mercosur has left Brazil with the challenge of recomposing relations inside the group ahead of Mercosur next summit in December which will be hosted by the administration of President Dilma Rousseff.

A 20 million dollars agreement signed Wednesday by the United Nations and Brazil will seek to transfer the expertise of the South American country to support cotton farmers in developing economies.

Venezuela's government decided to expel Paraguay's remaining diplomats from the country, the top envoy at the Paraguayan Embassy said on Wednesday. Charge d'affaires Victor Casartelli said that he and three other Paraguayan diplomats in Caracas were told by Venezuela's Foreign Ministry to leave within three days.

The following piece was published by Dorvers, CattleNnetwork and refers to the agriculture potential of Latinamerica and Mercosur largest economy. The column sources are Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.

By Ambassador R. Viswanathan - The free, fair and peaceful Venezuelan elections on Sunday 7 October, with a clear and accepted outcome has restored the confidence of the world, which had some doubts about the vulnerabilities of Latin American democracies – especially after the constitutional overthrow of President Lugo of Paraguay in June this year and the unconstitutional removal of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya in 2009.

Foreign minister Jose Felix Fernandez Estigarribia confirmed the beginning of negotiations for the re-incorporation of Paraguay to Unasur and Mercosur which will take place through the mediation of a Latinamerican country he did not identify.

President Dilma Rousseff, meeting with her Irish peer Michael D. Higgins said the global crisis has had a greater impact on Argentina than on Brazil, which has a stronger industrial base, and called for a better understanding of President Cristina Fernandez administration.

President Federico Franco ratified on Monday before the Diplomatic Corps that Paraguay rejects point blank the incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur and also considers the country was unfairly treated by the block.

The Paraguayan Senate will be addressing on Thursday the Ushuaia II Protocol and the Unasur Additional Protocol on democratic commitment, both instruments used by Mercosur and Unasur last June to have Paraguay suspended from the two organizations.