Four Latin American countries were quick Thursday to voice their disagreement with Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) ratifying incumbent President Nicolás Maduro's alleged win at the July 28 elections despite fraud denunciations by the opposition backed by the Organization of American States (OAS) and a large part of the international community.
Cattle slaughtering within the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) in the first seven months of this year reached nearly 27 million head, which represented a 2.05 million increase from the same period of 2023 as well as an all-time high.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nicolás Albertoni met Monday with his Chinese colleague Hua Chunying in Montevideo as the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) under Uruguay's rotating presidency kept pushing for a Free Trade Agreement with the Asian giant. Also present were dignitaries from the other members of the regional bloc as well as Beijing's Ambassador Huang Yazhong.
The Argentine administration of President Javier Milei decreed a 63% hike in the tolls collected from barges sailing through the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway effective this month. The adjustment set a new price of US$ 4.98 (from the previous US$ 3.06) per Net Register Ton (NRT). The figure is projected to reach US$ 6.04 per TRN in 2027.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed alarm at Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's recent remarks suggesting potential violence if he loses the upcoming election. Speaking in an interview with international news agencies, Lula condemned Maduro’s statements, which included threats of a “bloodbath” and “civil war,” as dangerous and unacceptable.
The discovery of cocaine and other hard drugs shipments to Europe from South American Atlantic ports is not new and despite all efforts, the network of contacts coupled with ingenious methods to adapt to circumstances and obviously a notorious degree of corruption, keeps information flowing.
Presidents Santiago Peña of Paraguay and Luis Lacalle Pou of Uruguay are to convene in Buenos Aires Wednesday to participate alongside Javier Milei in a conference on anti-terrorism which will be their first encounter after the July 8 Mercosur Summit in Asunción Milei skipped to avoid rubbing eyes with Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whom he dubbed a “corrupt communist” during the 2023 campaign and never apologized. The following day they will join again for the event marking the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA).
Argentine President Javier Milei's absence indeed highlighted the Southern Common Market's (Mercosur) Summit in Asunción. But only one week after his inauguration, attending the gathering was Panama's José Mulino, as his country is now eyeing its possible accession to Mercosur.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told his Bolivian counterpart Luis Arce Catacora during their encounter in Santa Cruz de la Sierra that there is no individual way out in South America, Agencia Brasil reported. Both leaders agreed that the bilateral meeting spelled the beginning of a new era in bilateral ties now that Bolivia is a full member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). It was Lula's first trip to Bolivia during his third term in office while Arce has been to Brazil four times in the past 12 months.
In addition to President Javier Milei not attending the 64th Southern Common Market Summit in Asunción, Argentina brought another dissenting note to the regional bloc when Foreign Minister Diana Mondino upheld the idea of brokering unilateral deals with foreign powers or blocs in blunt opposition to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's stance on the matter.