Paraguay

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 17:49 UTC

  Uruguay ‘can’t ignore (Mercosur) reality’ and is applying for full Pacific Alliance membership

  

  Vice-president and acting president Danilo Astori strongly defended the Uruguayan government’s intention of joining the Pacific Alliance, next to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, claiming that Mercosur has fallen into a state of ‘inactivity’ but also rejected point blank statements from Brazilian diplomacy contrary to such a move.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 08:27 UTC

  Paraguayan inflation 0.2% in five months; economy poised to expand 13%

  

  Consumer prices in Paraguay dropped 0.3% during May which brings the accumulated five month inflation to 0.2%, reported the Central bank. The percentage is considerably lower than May a year ago when it reached 0.4% and had accumulated 3.2%. Twelve month inflation in May reached 0.9% which compares favourably with the 3.8% of a year ago

• Saturday, June 1st 2013 - 19:06 UTC

  Mercosur plan to delay summit and give time to Paraguay to return with full rights

  

  Paraguay is considering the announcement made by Uruguayan president Jose Mujica who suggested delaying the coming Mercosur summit in Montevideo scheduled for the end of June, ‘to wait and give time for Paraguay’ (currently suspended) to return to the block.

• Tuesday, May 28th 2013 - 00:11 UTC

  Paraguay has received no invitation for the Mercosur June summit

  

  Paraguayan Foreign minister Jose Fernandez Estigarribia said on Monday that so far Asuncion has not received any invitation from Mercosur to attend the coming summit at the end of June, and there haven’t been any talks about the issue. Last week the Argentine ambassador in Uruguay Dante Dovena had anticipated that Paraguay would be attending the Mercosur summit.

• Monday, May 27th 2013 - 01:49 UTC

  Paraguay demands respect from Mercosur, “if not leave us as we are”

  

  The Argentine ambassador to Uruguay, Dante Dovena, assured that authorities are “working intensely” in preparations for the next Mercosur summit scheduled to take place on June 28th in Montevideo. However news form Paraguay doesn’t indicate the same optimism and are demanding respect for ‘the country’s dignity and rule of the law”.

• Wednesday, May 15th 2013 - 21:59 UTC

  Paraguay on Independence Day blasts Argentina and Brazil over “power resource exploitation”

  

  President Federico Franco said Paraguay has long cancelled its debts for the construction of two huge shared hydroelectric dams with its powerful neighbours and demanded Argentina pay for the surplus energy it receives and compensation for flooding Paraguayan territory.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:40 UTC

  Paraguay requests Pacific Alliance observer status; moves ‘beyond Mercosur’

  

  Paraguay has made official its request to become an observer of the Pacific Alliance, (Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru), as part of its policy to strengthen relations with other countries that goes beyond Mercosur and has proven very successful for the exchange of experiences.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 07:35 UTC

  Paraguay discussing inviting Maduro to the inauguration of president-elect Cartes

  

  Paraguayan president elect Horacio Cartes transition team said that Venezuela should be present at the inauguration ceremony of the new head of state scheduled for 15 August, despite the ‘current circumstances’ of bilateral relations.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 06:05 UTC

  Peru promoting Unasur summit to address Venezuela’s political situation

  

  Peru which currently holds the chair of Unasur, Union of South American Nations is promoting a new meeting of country members’ heads of state to address the political situation in Venezuela, Foreign minister Rafael Roncagliolo said on Thursday.

• Friday, May 10th 2013 - 03:20 UTC

  Paraguay beef exports experience 55% recovery in first four months of 2013

  

  Paraguay beef exports soared 54.94% in the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2012. Shipments totalled 65.000 tons equivalent to 337 million dollars against 44.000 tons and 218 million dollars, according to official stats from the Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa).