Paraguay

• Thursday, July 11th 2013 - 07:26 UTC

  Summit in Montevideo could further expose the fragility of a Mercosur turned political

  

  President-elect Horacio Cartes will not make any comments on the ongoing dispute of Paraguay with Mercosur until after the group’s summit in Uruguay next Friday, when official decisions on the subject are expected to be made public. However for both sides any decision will most probably be challenging and ratify that Mercosur has become a political group far from its original trade and investment purposes.

• Wednesday, July 10th 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Mercosur and Paraguay on collision course; Uruguay insists Venezuela will hold the chair of the group

  

  Paraguay reiterated on Tuesday that if Venezuela assumes as pro termpore chair of Mercosur, it is not interested in returning to the group and discarded Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledge to ensure Paraguay is fully reincorporated.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 01:50 UTC

  Paraguay not interested in Mercosur if Venezuela holds the chair, says top official

  

  Paraguay called for practical sense from its Mercosur partners Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to try and overcome the current impasse which could lead to a rift if Venezuela occupies the chair of the group at this week’s summit in Montevideo. Paraguay does not recognize Venezuela’s full membership because it was decided in its absence.

• Monday, July 1st 2013 - 02:26 UTC

  Paraguay Assumes Chair of the OAS Permanent Council

  

  The Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the Organization of American States (OAS), Martin Sannemann, assumed last Friday the Chair of the Permanent Council of the hemispheric institution, held in the last three months by the Permanent Representative of Panama, Arturo Vallarino.

• Thursday, June 27th 2013 - 05:07 UTC

  Iguazu Falls Park closed because of heavy rains and flooding

  

  Pouring rains and floods have forced the closure of the Iguazu Park, home of the world’s most famous waterfalls in the heartland of South America, shared by Argentina and Brazil, according to reports from the Argentine navy outpost in Puerto Iguazú.

• Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 20:52 UTC

  Mercosur suspension was rather beneficial for Paraguay, reveals President Franco

  

  Mercosur partners’ sanctions on Paraguay rather benefited than hindered the country, said President Federico Franco during a press conference in which he underlined the country had become more reliable and this was supported by a three fold increase in foreign investments.

• Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 20:25 UTC

  Paraguay claims Mercosur pro-tempore chair and thanks EU for political support

  

  President elect Horacio Cartes revealed in Spain that Paraguay is claiming the pro-tempore chair of Mercosur, argued that Venezuela is an ‘illegitimate’ member of the trade group and said Paraguay is en route to becoming full member of the Pacific Alliance.

• Tuesday, June 25th 2013 - 18:34 UTC

  Paraguay poised to become fastest growing economy this year, 13%

  

  Paraguay's economy expanded 14.8% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, driven mainly by farming, cattle-ranching and construction activity, the central bank said. GDP surged 8.8% in the first quarter versus the fourth quarter of 2012.

• Monday, June 24th 2013 - 03:07 UTC

  Paraguay not returning to Mercosur under current circumstances: demands compliance with rule of the law

  

  Suspended Paraguay will not return to Mercosur trampling on the institutions of the country or from the group, warned president-elect Horacio Cartes during an event at the Paraguay-US Chamber of Commerce. He emphasized that if there is no respect or abidance by the rule of the law, “we will remain as we are”.

• Saturday, June 22nd 2013 - 05:33 UTC

  Mercosur ‘good offices’ delegation in Paraguay to talk with president-elect Cartes

  

  Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes held a meeting on Friday at his home with former Chilean president Ricardo Lagos and the Ibero-American secretary general Enrique Iglesias to talk “about Mercosur issues and Paraguay’s suspension from the block”, according to sources close to the meeting.