Politics

• Saturday, November 27th 2010 - 12:06 UTC

  Unasur unable to agree on secretary; closes all ports to ‘illegal’ Malvinas flagged vessels

  

  The presidents of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) meeting at a summit in Guyana paid homage to former president Nestor Kirchner, agreed to incorporate a “democratic clause” to the group’s charter, left for next month a decision on who will be named the next secretary general and had a special mention to the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the UK. Argentina also revealed that the post should be occupied by an Argentine.

• Saturday, November 27th 2010 - 00:23 UTC

  Argentine Falklands top expert Ambassador Garcia del Solar dies in Buenos Aires

  

  One of Argentina’s main experts on Falklands/Malvinas affairs Lucio Garcia del Solar and former ambassador before the United Nation, United States, the former Soviet Union and UNESCO, among other diplomatic posts died Friday morning in Buenos Aires.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 16:25 UTC

  Mantega proposes “diluted” inflation index with no fuel or food items included

  

  Brazil Finance minister Guido Mantega is proposing a “dehydrated” inflation index with the purpose of reducing interest rates faster under the incoming administration of president-elect Dilma Rousseff, reports the influential O Estado de Sao Paulo.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 15:04 UTC

  Rio’s favelas war has full support and logistics from the federal government

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva promised full support from the federal government to Rio de Janeiro authorities involved in a clean-up operation to free the city’s shanty towns, favelas, from drug traffickers and organized crime.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 14:55 UTC

  Lula da Silva promises energy, communications and trade aid for Guyana

  

  Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced Friday an ambitious integration program for its northern neighbor Guyana, on the sidelines of a regional presidential summit taking place in Georgetown.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 14:47 UTC

  Venezuela pays 690m USD for 81% of French Casino supermarkets in the country

  

  Venezuela agreed to pay Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA 690 million US dollars for an 81% stake in the Saint-Etienne, France-based company’s local supermarkets, said Elias Jaua, vice president of the Venezuela’s official news agency, AVN.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 05:39 UTC

  Unasur ministers reach consensus on a “democratic clause”

  

  Unasur Foreign Affairs ministers meeting in Guyana reached on Thursday a consensus on a “democratic clause” to be incorporated to the group’s charter with the purpose of preventing coups in the region. The draft will be officially presented to the twelve nations’ presidential summit.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 02:22 UTC

  Paraguay readies vote on Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur as full member

  

  The Paraguayan Executive sent this week to congress a bill requesting the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur. Paraguay’s legislative confirmation is the last step to complete the long process, begun in 2006, for Venezuela to become a full member of the South American block currently made up of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

• Friday, November 26th 2010 - 02:18 UTC

  Uruguay’s Lower House approves Unasur; Senate votes next Tuesday

  

  Uruguay’s Lower House approved on Thursday the Unasur (Union of South American Nations) constitution protocol sending a strong message of support to the group’s summit in Guyana.

• Thursday, November 25th 2010 - 21:25 UTC

  First time ever woman president (for a few days) in Uruguay

  

  Uruguay’s First Lady and speaker of the main Senate group in the ruling coalition Lucia Topolansky will be sworn as interim president on Friday, the first woman-president in the history of the Uruguayan democracy.