
Paraguay's Central Bank (BCP) released a report Monday showing that exports fell 7.7% in 2024. However, some items scored significant improvements, as sales abroad totaled US$15.84 billion, while imports amounted to nearly US$16.38 billion. This represents a 3.6% increase for a trade deficit of US$538.8 million, against a surplus recorded the year before after a 2.3% overall contraction.

The United States Navy's next two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will be named after former Presidents Bill Clinton (Democrat) and George W. Bush (Republican), incumbent President Joseph Biden announced Monday less than a week before the end of his term. Biden also said that when he told them about his decision both of them felt deeply honored.

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) is pleased to announce the appointment of James Wilson as the next Director of Natural Resources. James has held the role of Deputy Director of Natural Resources since May 2024 and has been appointed following a comprehensive search and selection process.

Representatives from the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom held further productive discussions in London this week on the future of the Chagos Archipelago.

Uruguay's President-elect Yamandú Orsi will undergo cataract surgery in the next few days, due to which he will be pausing his transition agenda, it was reported Monday in Montevideo. According to Orsi's press team, the former Mayor (Governor) of Canelones had been postponing these procedures until it was decided to have them performed between Tuesday and Thursday. Orsi is expected to recover soon, so as to resume his activities leading up to his March 1 inauguration.

Venezuela's Bolivarian regime Monday reopened the borders with Colombia and Brazil it had closed ahead of Friday's inauguration of Nicolás Maduro as President for a third consecutive six-year term. The measure had been adopted due to an alleged international conspiracy following the controversial July 28, 2024, elections the Opposition Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) of retired diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia also claimed to have won.

Despite approving Argentine President Javier Milei's management in a broad way, the International Monetary Fund suggested the South American country should pay more attention to exchange rate arrears and the increasing poverty.

An explosive device went off late Saturday at Venezuela's consulate in Lisbon. Nobody was injured because at the time of the attack which local media said consisted of a Molotov cocktail, the offices were closed. “The Portuguese government strongly condemns the attack on the Venezuelan consulate in Lisbon,” Portugal's Foreign Ministry posted on X.

Isaías Rodríguez, Venezuela's first vice president as per the 1999 Constitution under Bolivarian leader Hugo Chávez, passed away Sunday at the age of 82, President Nicolás Maduro announced in Caracas. Rodríguez also served as Venezuela's Attorney General as well as Ambassador to Italy, and vice president of the Constituent Assembly.

Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil were reported Friday to have spoken on the telephone with Veenezuela's Nicolás Maduro to persuade him to resume talks with the opposition after being inaugurated for a third consecutive six-year term following the controversial July 28, 2024, elections.