Mercosur

• Monday, December 21st 2009 - 13:09 UTC

  Mercosur: Chavez sends “peace” message to Paraguayan Senate

  

  President Hugo Chavez said he was hopeful the Paraguayan congress would vote for Venezuela to join Mercosur since Paraguay is one of the countires to “most benefit” from such an incorporation.

• Friday, December 18th 2009 - 10:53 UTC

  Paraguay could vote on Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation after summer recess

  

  Paraguayan Congress will remain blocking Venezuela's entry into Mercosur trade bloc “as long as President Hugo Chávez continues intervening in foreign affairs”, stated the head of the Senate, Miguel Carrizosa, just a day after Brazilian lawmakers approved the incorporation. However his successor in the job affirms the opposite.

• Thursday, December 17th 2009 - 03:05 UTC

  Brazil strong message to Paraguay on support of Venezuela inside Mercosur

  

  Following this week’s Brazilian Senate vote to for the incorporation of Venezuela as a Mercosur full member, only Paraguay’s support is pending, but the Paraguayan Senate is divided on the issue. More over President Fernando Lugo had to withdraw the initiative last August when he was informed the divided coalition that took him to office could not garner the sufficient votes to ensure support.

• Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 13:03 UTC

  Mercosur: Finally Brazil’s Senate approved Venezuela incorporation

  

  Bringing to close a year-long internal debate over the role of Venezuela in South American political and economic affairs, Brazil's Senate, by a vote of 35 to 27, voted Tuesday to approve the entrance of the country's northern neighbor into the Mercosur trade bloc.

• Wednesday, December 16th 2009 - 04:11 UTC

  Soybeans bumper crop forecasted in Mercosur countries

  

  A soy bean bumper crop in South America in early 2010 will ease world reserves of grains, currently at very low levels, and will also have an impact on international prices according to Oil World.

• Thursday, December 10th 2009 - 11:31 UTC

  Brazilian Senate postpones vote on Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation

  

  The Brazilian senate postponed on Wednesday until next Tuesday the vote on Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur following a heated debate on the floor when the opposition strongly criticized Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

• Thursday, December 10th 2009 - 07:39 UTC

  Mercosur considering “sovereign fund” as protection against weak US dollar

  

  Fearful of the continued depreciation of the US dollar vis-á-vis other global currencies, Mercosur country members admitted one of the possibilities under consideration for the management of international foreign reserves is the creation of a kind of sovereign fund.

• Wednesday, December 9th 2009 - 14:49 UTC

  Mercosur summit fails to advance in internal trade issues

  

  The political coincidences of the two-day Mercosur presidential summit held in Montevideo overshadowed the lack of relevant decisions for the consolidation of the block as a customs union, according to Brazilian sources.

• Wednesday, December 9th 2009 - 14:41 UTC

  Mercosur summit committed to advance trade negotiations with Europe

  

  Mercosur is committed to advance trade negotiations with the European Union and expects to have drafted a viable position when leaders from Latinamerica and the Caribbean meet with their European Union counterparts next May for the Madrid summit.

• Wednesday, December 9th 2009 - 14:37 UTC

  Mercosur presidents strongly reject Honduras November elections

  

  Mercosur presidents expressed their most “energetic condemnation” of the Honduran coup and “total and full rejection” of the November 29th elections which represent a strong blow to “the democratic values of Latinamerica and the Caribbean”.