Paraguay

• Wednesday, November 18th 2015 - 07:24 UTC

  Setback for president Cartes: center-left coalition takes control of Paraguay's capital Asunción

  

  Paraguay’s ruling conservative party lost the mayor’s office in the capital Asunción on Sunday in a surprise midterm setback for President Horacio Cartes. Popular TV presenter Mario Ferreiro defeated incumbent Arnaldo Samaniego of the president’s Colorado party, 50.99% to 40.56%, according to official results with all ballots counted.

• Friday, November 6th 2015 - 11:26 UTC

  OAS observers for Paraguay municipal election on 15 November

  

  The Organization of American States (OAS) will deploy an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) for the 15 November municipal elections in Paraguay, according to the agreement signed between OAS and Paraguay.

• Wednesday, November 4th 2015 - 08:18 UTC

  Mercosur summit on 21 December; Uruguay takes the helm for next six months

  

  Mercosur heads of state next summit is scheduled for 21 December in Asunción, Paraguay, the country currently holding the group's chair. At the meeting the six-month rotating chair will be handed to Uruguay for the first half of 2016.

• Wednesday, October 21st 2015 - 06:45 UTC

  Mercosur and EU closer to begin negotiations; exchange of proposals will be under reserve

  

  Once Mercosur and the European Union conclude their exchange of goods and tariff reduction proposals for the long awaited trade agreement, contents of the deal will be kept in reserve while negotiations are ongoing, with no access to media or public opinion, anticipated Paraguayan foreign minister Eladio Loizaga.

• Wednesday, September 9th 2015 - 07:29 UTC

  Paraguay refuses to acknowledge US$ 85m debt from dictator's time

  

  Paraguay’s three branches of government agreed on Monday that Asuncion bears no obligation to repay $85 million borrowed by a representative of the late Gen. Alfredo Stroessner during the waning years of the 1954-1989 military regime.

• Thursday, August 13th 2015 - 03:37 UTC

  Mercosur's Paraguay meeting to iron out proposal to present to Europe

  

  Technical teams from Mercosur country members are scheduled to meet next Tuesday in Paraguay to iron out the final proposal to be presented by the group to the European Union for the long delayed trade and cooperation agreement. The meeting in Asunción will be headed by Rigoberto Gauto, who is currently the Mercosur coordinator since Paraguay holds this half year the rotating chair.

• Thursday, July 16th 2015 - 09:28 UTC

  Paraguay, as chair of the group, determined to return Mercosur to 'its roots'

  

  Paraguay is committed to return Mercosur to 'its roots', reach an agreement on some of the original fundamentals, eliminate restrictions to inter-trade and strongly promote the trade accord with the European Union. This is scheduled to take place in the coming six months once Paraguay is handed Mercosur' chair at the group's midyear presidential summit that begins on Thursday in Brasilia.

• Monday, July 13th 2015 - 08:58 UTC

  “A faith without solidarity, is a dead faith”, Francis tells a mass of over a million people

  

  Pope Francis, wrapping up on Sunday his three-country tour of South America, urged people living in a flood-prone shantytown in Paraguay to stay united in their struggle for better living and working conditions.

• Monday, July 13th 2015 - 06:36 UTC

  Argentina' Cristina Fernandez flies to Paraguay meets Francis for the sixth time

  

  President Cristina Fernández was present on Sunday in the Paraguayan capital, Asunción to hear Pope Francis give mass during his visit, and greeted the Argentine citizens who had travelled to see the leader of the Catholic church. The head of state left the open mass at around midday, handing Francis a gift before retiring after witnessing the ceremony with Paraguayan counterpart Horacio Cartés.

• Saturday, July 11th 2015 - 05:43 UTC

  Francis calls on Paraguay to consolidate democracy and end corruption

  

  Pope Francis urged Paraguay to consolidate democracy and end corruption and drug trafficking, after receiving a colorful welcome on Friday at the start of the last leg of his eight-day South American tour.