
The Paraguayan Senate is expected to finally vote for the incorporation of Venezuela as Mercosur full member next week following intense political negotiations. Paraguay’s vote is decisive to complete the Venezuelan membership process since lawmakers of the other Mercosur countries Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil have already approved the incorporation.

Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana has moved to lance the bubble of speculation that followed reports of his mention of the Andorra (*) status at a talk to political and business leaders in Seville last week.

Just over 30% of Chileans consider state corruption in Chile to be extensive; but this is down 23% from 2006.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.