Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman confirmed this weekend that there had been new meetings with envoys of the Iranian government over the probe handling the AMIA bombing, and assured that Argentina will present a new action plan in the coming few weeks, most probably in the next meeting scheduled for January.
Former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso said it was convenient to consider a trade integration with the Unites States given the very modest advances with Mercosur, where open trade has stalled or is far less than was expected when the original idea and is subjected to protectionist lobbies.
Senior members from the Falkland Islands government have left for Norway and the Shetland Islands on an experiences-fact-finding mission as the Islands prepare for oil production in the near future.
The Mercosur summit which meets this week, December 6/7 in Brasilia is scheduled to debate the incorporation of Ecuador and Bolivia to the regional block which earlier this year, after waiting since 2006 finally integrated Venezuela as full member.
Investment funds suing over Argentina's 2002 debt default have asked a US court to order the country to post a security deposit of at least 250 million dollars by December 10, while an appeal of a lower court's order is pending.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said he has agreed with his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, to establish lines of communication to resolve through diplomatic channels the maritime dispute between the two countries.
The Paraguayan congress was strongly supported at the Latinamerican Parliament, Parlatino, which during the XXVIII ordinary session voted against an Argentine motion to have it suspended.
The Union for South American Nations (Unasur) agreed to limit the actions of ‘special situation funds’ (hedge funds or ‘vulture funds’) and categorically rejected a referendum that will take in place in the Falkland Islands in March to decide the political status of the archipelago, during the summit that took place in Lima.
Paraguay complained bitterly Unasur (Union of South American Nations) decision to confirm the suspension of the country from the group until next April 2013 when elections are scheduled. The decision was described as a ‘systematic persecution’ and ‘interventionism’ of Paraguay, which is contrary to basic principles enshrined in the UN charter.
Moody's Ratings agency announced it has downgraded the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) from Aaa to Aa1, with negative outlook on each.