Paraguay

• Friday, December 17th 2010 - 06:42 UTC

  Paraguayan industry calls Lula da Silva an “arrogant hypocrite”

  

  The Paraguayan Industrial Union, UIP, called Brazilian president Lula da Silva an “arrogant hypocrite” for making promises he never honoured, and attacked President Fernando Lugo for generating ‘overblown fantasy expectations’.

• Monday, December 13th 2010 - 23:26 UTC

  Paraguay finally says ‘aye’ to Venezuela’s Mercosur full membership

  

  Venezuela’s incorporation as a full member of Mercosur has been secured following the confirmation of a political agreement in Paraguay, the only of the four-country group that still had a vote pending in congress.

• Monday, December 13th 2010 - 22:48 UTC

  Argentina lifts trade blockade: Paraguay will attend Mercosur summit

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo will be attending the Mercosur summit this week following on Argentina’s guarantee that the blockade on Paraguayan goods and merchandise imposed by an Argentine maritime union will be lifted, effective Monday.

• Saturday, December 11th 2010 - 06:01 UTC

  Mercosur summit threatened by Argentine boycott on Paraguayan foreign trade

  

  A Mercosur internal conflict involving Argentina and Paraguay which is conditioning the coming presidential summit in Brazil and has again suspended a vote for Venezuela’s final incorporation to the group, seems to have escalated in the last 24 hours.

• Friday, December 10th 2010 - 04:31 UTC

  Venezuela’s Mercosur incorporation hostage of Argentine/Paraguay conflict

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo for the second time in a year withdrew the request from Congress for the approval of Venezuela’s incorporation as a full member of Mercosur. This leaves the issue for next year.

• Thursday, December 9th 2010 - 07:57 UTC

  Paraguay/Argentina Mercosur conflict: unions declare “five-day truce”

  

  The blockade of landlocked Paraguay’s maritime and fluvial trade which threatens Mercosur unity has been “granted” a five-day truce by the Argentine maritime workers union responsible for the industrial action.

• Tuesday, December 7th 2010 - 20:26 UTC

  Paraguay will not attend Mercosur summit if Argentina doesn’t lift fluvial blockade

  

  Landlocked Paraguay has called on Argentina to put an end to the blockade of Paraguayan maritime agencies which has virtually cut the country’s foreign trade. Paraguayan Foreign Affairs minister Hector Lacognata also revealed that if the month-long issue is not solved in the next few days, “Paraguay will be absent from the coming Mercosur summit December 15”.

• Thursday, December 2nd 2010 - 21:56 UTC

  Paraguayan grains and oil seeds 2010 crop reached a record 12.7 million tons

  

  Paraguay summer and winter crops in 2010 totalled 12.688.908 tons establishing a new record according to agronomist Luis Cubilla from the Agriculture Biotechnology Institute. The last best harvest was in 2008 with 10.5 million tons.

• Thursday, December 2nd 2010 - 00:07 UTC

  Mercosur: Paraguay Senate has been convinced and will vote for Venezuela

  

  The Paraguayan Senate is expected to finally vote for the incorporation of Venezuela as Mercosur full member next week following intense political negotiations. Paraguay’s vote is decisive to complete the Venezuelan membership process since lawmakers of the other Mercosur countries Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil have already approved the incorporation.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:01 UTC

  Paraguayan leader toasts with mineral water the end of chemotherapy treatment

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo and the team of Brazilian and Paraguayan doctors who are treating him for lymphatic cancer symbolically champagne-toasted with mineral water the last session of chemotherapy, which apparently has been successful.