Politics

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 05:49 UTC

  Brazil offers a billion USD in projects to compensate for Itaipu energy

  

  The Brazilian government is planning to offer a financing package worth one billion US dollars for industrial projects in Paraguay, local financial newspaper Valor Economico reported this week. According to the newspaper, which cited unnamed sources, the financing will be offered through Brazil's National Development Bank, or BNDES.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 05:30 UTC

  Easter present for Paraguayan president: a paternity suit

  

  Paraguay’s Christina Democrat party reiterated “full confidence” in President Fernando Lugo who faces a paternity suit alleging that a son was born to the former Roman Catholic bishop five months after he abandoned the church for politics.

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 05:16 UTC

  Bolivian president on hunger strike to force Congress

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales went on a hunger strike Thursday to demand Congress pass an electoral law which includes a firm date for December’s general election and other reforms which could make it easier for him to get re-elected and win control of Congress.

• Thursday, April 9th 2009 - 12:28 UTC

  UK “considering approach” to Falklands’ continental shelf and May deadline

  

  The United Kingdom has no doubts about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, or its right to make a submission to extend the continental shelf under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, but it is considering its approach in view of the May 2009 deadline.

• Thursday, April 9th 2009 - 09:10 UTC

  “Falkland Islanders unequivocally with to remain British”

  

  Argentine next of kin have “unfettered” access to the Falkland Islands since 1999 and “only last week 60 of them and families visited the Islands” points out Sukey Cameron, Falklands’ government representative in London in a response to an article published in The Guardian which referred to the recent meeting between Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

• Thursday, April 9th 2009 - 08:48 UTC

  Fidel Castro describes as “magnificent” meeting with US Congress members

  

  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has described as “magnificent” a recent meeting with three Democratic US lawmakers, and is urging Washington to take the initiative to improve ties with Havana.

• Thursday, April 9th 2009 - 08:22 UTC

  Spanish cabinet reshuffle with new Finance minister

  

  Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced Tuesday several ministerial changes in response to current political circumstances and to strengthen the Government’s hand ahead of assuming the European Union presidency in 2010.

• Wednesday, April 8th 2009 - 05:58 UTC

  Peru’s Fujimori convicted to 25 years in prison for human rights crimes

  

  A three-judge panel of Peru’s Supreme Court convicted former president Alberto Fujimori of human rights crimes committed by his government's security forces in the 1990s. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges of murder and kidnapping.

• Wednesday, April 8th 2009 - 05:38 UTC

  First meeting of Uruguay chancellor with Hillary Clinton

  

  The coming Americas summit in Trinidad Tobago, bilateral affairs and regional issues was the long agenda addressed by Uruguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Gonzalo Fernandez during a meeting Monday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the US State Department.

• Wednesday, April 8th 2009 - 05:21 UTC

  Fidel Castro meets with three US members of Congress

  

  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has held a meeting with three members of the US House of Representatives. The event was his first known meeting with US officials since he underwent emergency intestinal surgery in 2006.