Mercosur

• Sunday, April 8th 2018 - 06:43 UTC

  Lula in prison in Curitiba. Fiery-emotional speech to supporters before turning in

  

  Brazil's leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in Saturday to start a 12-year sentence for corruption after a chaotic attempt by supporters to stop him from surrendering. Surrounded by bodyguards, Lula had to push through a seething throng of supporters to get into a police vehicle outside the metalworkers' union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he had been holed up for two days and nights.

• Sunday, April 8th 2018 - 06:40 UTC

  UK present at Latin America's Air and Space Fair held in Santiago

  

  The 20th Air and Space Fair (Fidae), the most important aviation event in Latin America, kicked off in Chile on Tuesday with a participation of more than 50 exhibitors and about 120 civil and military aircraft. FIDAE, a biennial international air show held in Santiago, Chile, is the largest aerospace and defense fair in Latin America. More than 120,000 attendees are expected to attend during the six days display.

• Friday, April 6th 2018 - 16:23 UTC

  Lula resists arrest deadline waiting for last minute habeas corpus filed at an appeals court

  

  Former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told Folha de Sao Paulo early Friday that he has decided not to turn himself at the Federal Police in Curitiba where he must serve a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, as ordered by judge Sergio Moro.

• Wednesday, April 4th 2018 - 09:04 UTC

  Minister Faurie in France addresses bilateral relations and Mercosur/EU talks

  

  Argentine foreign minister Jorge Faurie met on Tuesday in Paris with his French peer Jean-Yves Le Drian to address current political and economic bilateral relations, as well as the latest advances in the Mercosur/European Union negotiations.

• Tuesday, April 3rd 2018 - 18:56 UTC

  The Kirchners' most trusted official caught in the Odebrecht corruption web

  

  An Argentine judge has charged ex president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner former planning minister in a case involving Brazilian company Odebrecht. Argentina's official Judicial Information Center says that Julio De Vido was charged Tuesday with carrying out incompatible deals while in public office.

• Wednesday, March 21st 2018 - 07:07 UTC

  Mercosur “blocks” talks on auto exports and government procurement contracts, claims EU

  

  European officials said this week that significant obstacles remain to a long-delayed trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, even as South American officials expressed optimism a deal would be finalized soon.

• Tuesday, February 27th 2018 - 06:08 UTC

  Uruguayan fraternity: nepotism, nepotism and no job to spare

  

  It has been a long standing consensus-secret in the Uruguayan political system that when you are elected or have been nominated to a political post, you must not forget the family or friends particularly if they are in distress. This means in practical terms that the generous Uruguayan state will incorporate you to the burgeoning bureaucracy be it at national or regional level.

• Wednesday, February 21st 2018 - 07:19 UTC

  Switzerland interested in a trade deal with Mercosur despite its own farmers

  

  Swiss Economic Affairs Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann wants to speed up a free trade agreement between Switzerland and Mercosur, but there is concern in the agricultural sector, according to the country's media.

• Saturday, February 17th 2018 - 09:33 UTC

  European farm lobbies want no further agriculture concessions to Mercosur

  

  European farm lobbies Copa and Cogeca sent a letter to EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker opposing the EU move to give further concessions on agriculture in return for gains in other economic sectors to Mercosur.

• Saturday, February 17th 2018 - 09:29 UTC

  Canada will begin free trade talks with Mercosur in Paraguay on 9 March

  

  The Canadian government plans to open free trade talks with the four-nation Mercosur trading bloc in South America at a time when the future of NAFTA is facing increasing uncertainty. Canada sends around 75% of its goods exports to the United States and is looking for new markets to reduce the reliance on its southern neighbor.