Politics

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 08:20 UTC

  Chavez claims Paraguayan senators tried to blackmail him to vote for Venezuela in Mercosur

  

  President Hugo Chavez said that the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur was “exemplary” because it never yielded to “blackmail” from the Paraguayan extreme right and revealed that he met with Paraguayan Senator Lino Oviedo, considered the mastermind behind those attempts.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 08:11 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez support eroding but no rivals on sight to challenge her

  

  The positive image of Argentine president Cristina Fernandez has dropped 25 points and now stands at 40% after having reached 65% when her re-election last October according to an opinion poll from consultants Management & Fit.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 08:06 UTC

  IMF calls for “policy game changer” in the Euro zone to arrest spread of debt crisis

  

  The IMF called on Thursday for a “policy game changer” in the Euro zone to arrest the spread of the debt crisis it now says is clearly engulfing the entire currency bloc and its smaller neighbours.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:52 UTC

  Peruvian police seize 2.3m counterfeit US dollar notes; so far this year 17m

  

  Police in Peru have seized 2.3m dollars in counterfeit notes. Prosecution said the notorious Quispe Rodriguez family clan is behind the production of fake currency. Peruvian police chief, Raul Salazar, said the gang was planning to smuggle the counterfeit 50 dollar bills into the United States, hidden inside Peruvian souvenirs.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:46 UTC

  State of emergency in south Peru to protect mining projects from guerrillas

  

  Peru’s government has extended a state of emergency for 60 days in several districts of south-central regions because of the presence of the guerrilla group Shining Path remnants.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:38 UTC

  Venezuela fishing vessels caught in French Guiana waters will be destroyed

  

  Two Venezuelan fishing vessels were caught illegally operating n French Guiana waters by a French Navy patrol and will be destroyed as is normal procedure in the territory, according to Cayenne media.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:24 UTC

  Colombian court ruling favours indigenous people; government to appeal

  

  Colombian Defence minister said on Thursday the Constitutional Court’s decision to order armed forces to leave indigenous territories in south-eastern Colombia will not affect military presence in the volatile south-western Cauca department.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:18 UTC

  Ecuador president limits publicity to “friendly” media and raids magazine office

  

  The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) described as “contrary to the principles of freedom of expression and press freedom” an order by the Government of Ecuador to withdraw official advertising from independent news media.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 07:10 UTC

  Bolivia seizes silver and indium mine operated by Canadian firm

  

  Confirming the growing trend in several South American countries, Bolivia expropriated a silver and indium mine operated by a local unit of Canadian firm South American Silver, a move criticized by Ottawa and likely to scare off foreign investors.

• Friday, August 3rd 2012 - 00:11 UTC

  Trial of the century takes off in Brazil; at stake Lula da Silva’s legacy

  

  Seven years after a corruption scandal rattled the government of former President Lula da Silva, Brazil's Supreme Court began on Thursday a landmark trial that could mar the wildly popular leader's legacy.