Paraguay

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 19:37 UTC

  Venezuela’s Mercosur membership “null and void” says Paraguayan government

  

  The Paraguayan government declared “illegal” and “null and void” the inclusion of Venezuela as a full member of Mercosur which was agreed on Tuesday during the extraordinary meeting held in Brasilia with the absence of Paraguay.

• Wednesday, August 1st 2012 - 08:08 UTC

  Dilma welcomes President Chavez to the world’s fifth economy

  

  Brazilian president DIlma Rousseff said that with the incorporation of Venezuela, Mercosur has become a global power in food and energy and becomes the fifth world economy with a GDP of 3.3tn dollars.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 23:19 UTC

  With Venezuela Mercosur has become “a new pole of world power”

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández said on Tuesday during a press conference held at the Mercosur extraordinary summit in Brasilia, that Venezuela’s entry to the bloc “strengthens the entire region” and creates a “new pole of power” at world level.

• Tuesday, July 31st 2012 - 07:42 UTC

  Not without controversy Venezuela becomes Mercosur fifth full member

  

  Following a full day of deliberations in Brasilia between Foreign Affairs ministers, the presidents from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, on Tuesday will formally receive Venezuela as the new full member of Mercosur, as was agreed at the regular mid year summit in Mendoza.

• Saturday, July 28th 2012 - 02:12 UTC

  Mujica forecasts Venezuela will rapidly become Uruguay’s third trade partner

  

  Uruguayan president Jose Mujica strongly defended the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur and forecasted that in a short time the country will become Uruguay’s third trade associate, behind China and Brazil.

• Saturday, July 28th 2012 - 00:10 UTC

  Russia investing heavily in becoming self sufficient in beef production

  

  Russian President Vladimir Putin has an ambitious plan to cut his country's 3 billion dollars annual import bill for beef. He even aspires to return Russia's beef industry to its pre-revolutionary stature.

• Friday, July 27th 2012 - 02:44 UTC

  Ex British swimmer will carry the Paraguayan flag in London’s Olympic opening

  

  Benjamin Hockin in the 2008 Beijing Olympics was part of the British team, now however he will be the standard-bearer for Paraguay in Friday’s London summer games opening and convinced he will receive an even greater support.

• Thursday, July 26th 2012 - 18:52 UTC

  Brazil discusses with Chavez arrangements for Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation

  

  Venezuelan President met on Wednesday with a committee from the Brazilian government to discuss mechanisms to speed the full integration of the country to the regional block. Brazil currently holds the Mercosur rotating chair.

• Thursday, July 26th 2012 - 09:10 UTC

  Mercosur farmers support Paraguay and call for harmonic relations in the group

  

  The suspension of Paraguay and the intent to incorporate Venezuela to Mercosur represent a threat to the regional integration process, said the Mercosur Federation of Rural Associations, Farm, currently meeting in Santiago de Chile.

• Wednesday, July 25th 2012 - 21:54 UTC

  French president Hollande welcomes new Paraguayan ambassador to Paris

  

  Paraguayan ambassador Emilio Gimenez Franco presented last July 11 his credential letters to French president Francois Hollande, making him the country’s representative before Paris.