Politics

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 22:14 UTC

  Lula da Silva’s 8 years marked by corruption and crime, says a Wikileak cable

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva concludes his eight years in office with a performance marked by open corruption “among his closest political allies”, with a “plague” of vote-buying in Congress and the ruling party, and without having given a reply to the issue of crime.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 08:05 UTC

  Argentina “surprised” US intelligence gathering was done by diplomatic channels

  

  In what is considered to be the first official statement by the Argentine government in the Wikileaks scandal, Argentine ambassador to the UN Jorge Argüello said on Tuesday that the released documents “are a delicate matter that will put the US at least in an embarrassing position.”

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 08:03 UTC

  Brazil plans unmanned air surveillance along Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia borders

  

  Rio do Janeiro media has disclosed that the Brazilian government wants to use unmanned air vehicles, VANT, along the border areas of neighbouring countries, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and Colombia.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:51 UTC

  China opens market to Argentine beef, barley, dairy produce and apples

  

  China and Argentina have signed agreements to allow the import to China of de-boned beef, dairy products, apples, bamboo and barley, China's quarantine administration said on Wednesday. However no mention was made of an expected deal on corn.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:31 UTC

  South America’s main naval show takes off in Chile; HMS Gloucester present

  

  With the participation of delegations from 34 countries South America’s largest naval exposition was officially opened Tuesday in Valaparaíso. The seventh edition of ExpoNaval is scheduled to last until next Friday with business deals reaching 600 million US dollars according to the organizers.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:07 UTC

  UK company secures contract to repair and maintain Chilean navy frigates

  

  UK BAE Systems has secured a two year extended agreement with Chilean ship build and repair organisation ASMAR to provide support to the country's navy Type 22 and Type 23 frigates in a move that is set to enhance Chile's naval capability.

• Wednesday, December 1st 2010 - 07:01 UTC

  Paraguayan leader toasts with mineral water the end of chemotherapy treatment

  

  Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo and the team of Brazilian and Paraguayan doctors who are treating him for lymphatic cancer symbolically champagne-toasted with mineral water the last session of chemotherapy, which apparently has been successful.

• Tuesday, November 30th 2010 - 20:18 UTC

  Political deal in Paraguay to vote for Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur

  

  Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur as full member seems closer as the Paraguayan Senate readies to consider the issue following on political agreements worked out by President Fernando Lugo.

• Tuesday, November 30th 2010 - 16:41 UTC

  Argentina’s 2011 presidential election: a Peronist party dispute, forecasts analyst

  

  The most probable political scenario for Argentina’s October 2011 presidential election is a run-off between two candidates from the hegemonic Justicialista party, centre left and centre right, according to Argentine historian and political analyst Rosendo Fraga.

• Tuesday, November 30th 2010 - 06:27 UTC

  US State Department obsessed curiosity with Argentina’s “First couple”

  

  Amongst the 250,000 documents released by the WikiLeaks organization is a cable that shows the intention of the White House of “preparing a written product examining the interpersonal dynamics between the Argentine governing tandem” (“ruling couple” or First couple”) Cristina and Nestor Kirchner, according to the published material.