Mercosur

• Thursday, December 15th 2016 - 02:32 UTC

  Venezuela definitively spoils Argentina's Mercosur taking-chair ceremony

  

  If Venezuela's intention was to spoil Argentina's ceremony as the new holder of Mercosur pro tempore chair for the next six months, they certainly managed. A low key event at foreign ministers level, instead of a presidential summit, was briefly interrupted by the uninvited attendance of Venezuelan foreign minister 'Delcy Rodríguez' who turned up in Buenos Aires to protest what Caracas considers a Mercosur confabulation against Venezuela, suspended from the block since last 2 December.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 18:02 UTC

  Chaotic Mercosur: Venezuelan minister turns up in Buenos Aires but Malcorra asks Rodriguez not to attend

  

  In what is turning into a Caribbean soap opera, Venezuela's foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez, with Bolivia's David Choquehuenca, on Wednesday morning turned up at Argentina's foreign ministry pretending to participate in an extraordinary Mercosur council meeting, to which she had not been invited since Venezuela is officially suspended from the group.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 09:21 UTC

  Yesterday Colombia, now Venezuela closes border with Brazil

  

  The government of President Nicolas Maduro government closed the border with Brazil for 72 hours for the same reason it had taken the same measure with Colombia: money smuggling, Brazilian local authorities and residents of southern Venezuela who routinely cross to Brazil where they can make transactions in bolivars confirmed.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 08:32 UTC

  Maduro/Vazquez address Mercosur conflict; 'uninvited' Venezuelan minister expected in Buenos Aires

  

  On the eve of Argentina becoming the next chair of Mercosur, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro revealed he held an hour long video conference with his Uruguayan peer Tabare Vazquez and they both agreed in building a path “to channel the current conflict”, which has Venezuela suspended from the group, but is rejected point blank by Caracas.

• Tuesday, December 13th 2016 - 10:32 UTC

  Argentina ready to take Mercosur chair: priority is the trade accord with Europe

  

  Argentina's priority as chair of Mercosur which it will officially take over this week will be to advance negotiations with the European Union for a wide ranging trade agreement which will not include Venezuela, anticipated foreign minister Susana Malcorra .

• Tuesday, December 13th 2016 - 08:49 UTC

  First loan for an Andes tunnel to connect Argentina with Chile as part of Mercosur road net

  

  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$40 million loan that will allow for bidding to begin for the Agua Negra tunnel, which will connect San Juan province in Argentina with that of Coquimbo in Chile. The tunnel is key to improving trade integration between the two countries and the rest of Mercosur through a new corridor that will connect the Atlantic and the Pacific from Porto Alegre, Brazil, west to Coquimbo, Chile.

• Friday, December 9th 2016 - 15:14 UTC

  Maduro calls for “anti-coup” test as dialogue with opposition dies

  

  During a “commemorative assembly” marking the fourth anniversary of the day the late Hugo Chavez picked him as his successor, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called for a powerful civilian and military mobilization next December 17 to make a “anti-coup” test in view of the alleged threats from “imperialism” and “national oligarchy.”

• Friday, December 9th 2016 - 10:01 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina agree to open Mercosur to the world and expand trade horizons

  

  Brazil and Argentina foreign ministers agreed on Thursday in Brasilia that Mercosur must open to the world and expand its trade horizons, but it will have to be done without Venezuela which has been currently “ceased” from the block. Jose Serra and Susana Malcorra coincided that Mercosur must speed the trade agreement with the European Union taking advantage of the fact US elected-president Donald Trump has pledged to limit such treaties.

• Saturday, December 3rd 2016 - 09:19 UTC

  Venezuela suspended from Mercosur - Maduro's Foreign Minister says it did not happen

  

  The founding Mercosur countries Friday suspended Venezuela from full membership of the free-trade bloc in view of its failure to adjust its domestic regulations to economic agreements and human rights and immigration guidelines and principles that are mandatory to all the other members.

• Friday, December 2nd 2016 - 10:43 UTC

  Brazilian sources say Venezuela's suspension from Mercosur to be announced Friday

  

  Nicolas Maduro's Venezuela has been suspended from the Mercosur regional trade bloc for failing to meet its membership requirements, a Brazilian government source revealed Thursday. And the official announcement is to be made Friday, which could not be corroborated in Buenos Aires' diplomatic circles.