
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Monday he had his full faculties after an operation in Cuba and was still managing government affairs despite being ordered to rest for several days more.

On the day of his 67th birthday, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his delegation arrived in Buenos Aires by coach after having landed in the northern city of Cordoba.

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, CFK, renewed the Argentine claim of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands before UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who’s visiting the country on his birthday.

The Union of South American Nations, UNASUR has frozen the project for a common currency and Central Bank following on conclusions from the European Union experience (and crisis), said the Argentine representative before the organization.

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff public opinion support climbed two points following last week’s cabinet reshuffle and a majority of Brazilians also believes that former president Lula da Silva continues to intervene in government affairs and this participation is ‘correct’.

Weapons dealer Guillermo Ibieta will face questioning this week about a possible link between his company and four second-hand frigates purchased from the Netherlands for the Chilean Navy in 2005, according to Chilean daily La Tercera.

The head of the Royal Navy Task Force that recovered the Falkland Islands during the 1982 South Atlantic conflict has warned about UK defense cuts and underlined that United States has little interest in supporting Britain in any conflict since a stable Argentina is more important to the State Department.

UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon is in Buenos Aires for a two-day official visit and will be meeting President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Monday morning. Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman is expected to bring up the “question of Falklands/Malvinas”.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff made the second key change of the week in her cabinet on Friday, a move aimed at improving strained ties with allies in Congress. Luiz Sergio, the minister responsible for liaising with Congress, resigned from his post,

The candidacy of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner “is headed towards a predictable scenario” assured Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli in an interview he granted to Ambito Financiero's new TV show, “Ambito de debate”.