Politics

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 05:05 UTC

  Mercosur agrees info exchange on hydrocarbons naval traffic to the Falklands

  

  Mercosur agreed at the Mendoza summit to exchange information on ships and other “naval artefacts” involved in hydrocarbons activities with routes that include the Falklands/Malvinas Islands over which Argentina claims sovereignty.

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 04:45 UTC

  Unasur suspends Paraguay; names Peru at the group’s pro-tempore presidency

  

  Unasur, Union of South American nations on Friday suspended Paraguay from the group following the ouster of the country's former president, Fernando Lugo. The decision was adopted at an extraordinary meeting in Mendoza, Argentina where earlier in the day Mercosur members adopted a similar measure.

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 04:17 UTC

  Repsol donated a million dollars to the campaign of President Kirchner in 2003

  

  The nationalization of YPF, seized from Spain’s Repsol by Argentine president Cristina Fernandez is again a source of controversy following the disclosure by an investigative journalist that the Spanish oil corporation in 2003 helped finance the presidential election of Nestor Kirchner as well as the other candidate in the run-off, Carlos Menem.

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 04:06 UTC

  Why Enrique Peña Nieto will win the Mexican presidential election

  

  By Gwynne Dyer - There’s no point in talking about who’s going to win the Mexican presidential election on July 1. Enrique Peña Nieto is going to win it. What’s more interesting is why he’s going to win it.

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 03:52 UTC

  Mercosur ‘suspended’ Paraguay feels free to establish trade links with other countries

  

  President Federico Franco announced in a press conference that if Paraguay is suspended from Mercosur the country will feel free to look for other trade agreements and international relations.

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 03:43 UTC

  Mercosur Secretary General resigns and walks out from the Mendoza summit

  

  Mercosur Secretary General Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes resigned to his post in the midst of the Mendoza summit following a strong exchange with the group of Foreign Ministers, indicated reports from Buenos Aires.

• Saturday, June 30th 2012 - 00:46 UTC

  Mercosur announced admission of Venezuela as a full member end of July

  

  Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay made official on Friday the temporary suspension of Paraguay from Mercosur, because of the ‘summary’ removal of President Fernando Lugo and at the same time announced Venezuela will be incorporated to the group on July 31 at a meeting in Rio do Janeiro.

• Friday, June 29th 2012 - 06:25 UTC

  Brazil/Uruguay overrule Argentina: no Mercosur economic sanctions on Paraguay

  

  Mercosur will not impose economic sanctions on Paraguay despite concerns over the ousting of the country's president, officials said on Thursday evening at the summit taking place in Mendoza, Argentina.

• Friday, June 29th 2012 - 06:22 UTC

  Unasur will debate how to remove the group’s presidency from ‘illegitimate’ Paraguay

  

  Besides the Mercosur summit, the Argentine city of Mendoza will also be hosting on Friday an emergency meeting from the Union of South American nations to discuss Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo’s swift removal and replacement by a government which has triggered strong resistance in the continent.

• Friday, June 29th 2012 - 06:19 UTC

  Former impeached Brazilian president argues the “process in Paraguay was legal”

  

  The removal of Fernando Lugo from the Paraguayan Executive office was legal, said Brazilian former president and Senator Fernando Collor, quoted by O’Globo. He insisted there was “no coup”.