Mercosur

• Friday, August 14th 2009 - 14:09 UTC

  Paraguayan government withdraws bill for Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation

  

  Paraguay's government withdrew a bill that would approve the incorporation of Venezuela to the Mercosur trade bloc fearing a defeat in Congress that could hurt relations between the two countries.

• Friday, August 14th 2009 - 14:05 UTC

  IMF allocation for Mercosur countries exceeds 7 billion USD

  

  The IMF allocation of Special Drawing Rights, SDR, equivalent to 250 billion USD to provide liquidity to the global economic system will supplement Mercosur country members with approximately 7 billion US dollars.

• Friday, August 14th 2009 - 02:52 UTC

  The Mercosur dream has “over ambitious targets and little pragmatism”

  

  In the sixties we had a “very strong dream about the idea of Mercosur” but it is “frustrating to see how little has been advanced in fifty years” said economist Enrique Iglesias during a conference in Montevideo on the impacts and challenges of the current international economic crisis.

• Friday, August 7th 2009 - 12:50 UTC

  Mercosur works if Brazil makes it work, said Uruguayan presidential hopeful

  

  The Uruguayan ruling coalition presidential candidate Jose Mujica said Brazilian president Lula da Silva promised to help speed power inter-connection between the two neighbouring countries, in the framework of Mercosur, in spite of Argentina’s non supportive attitude. He also underlined Mercosur depends on Brazil’s willingness.

• Friday, August 7th 2009 - 12:41 UTC

  Paraguayan Senate not interested in having Venezuela in Mercosur

  

  The Paraguayan Congress is not interested in considering the protocol for Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur said Senator Miguel Carrioza, president of the Upper house.

• Thursday, July 30th 2009 - 03:43 UTC

  Argentina ignores Mercosur; rallies domestic support for protectionist policies

  

  Argentina’s main trade unions confederation, CGT, and the chamber of small and medium enterprises, CAEM, energetically supported trade protection measures imposed by the government and which triggered complaints and irritation among Mercosur country members.

• Tuesday, July 28th 2009 - 03:41 UTC

  Mercosur “lame and in misery” says Uruguayan presidential candidate

  

  Mercosur is “lame and in misery”, said Uruguay’s ruling coalition presidential candidate Jose Mujica. As of last weekend Uruguay holds the six month rotating chair of the South American trade block which has as full members, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

• Saturday, July 25th 2009 - 11:50 UTC

  Mercosur warns it rejects any attempt to call new elections in Honduras

  

  As was anticipated Mercosur released a strong condemnation of the Honduran de facto government and demanded the immediate reinstatement of constitutional president Manuel Zelaya.

• Saturday, July 25th 2009 - 10:42 UTC

  Argentina/Brazil postpone local currencies swap to promote bilateral trade

  

  Argentina and Brazil postponed the signing of a 1.8 billion US dollars swap agreement that was supposed to promote bilateral trade amid the global financial crisis. Reasons for the delay were not revealed but the event was rescheduled for August 3.

• Saturday, July 25th 2009 - 10:40 UTC

  Mercosur leaders suggest lifting patent rights to produce anti A/flu vaccines

  

  Speaking in the framework of Mercosur summit in Paraguay, the leaders of Argentina and Brazil suggested Friday that developing countries be allowed to lift patent rights so they can produce more vaccines to battle the A/H1N1 virus flu pandemic.